Stem Cell Face Lift: Buzz or Magic in Beverly Hills?

The stem cell face lift procedure has gotten a tremendous amount of attention over the last few years in Beverly Hills.   There really is no one way to do a ‘stem cell face lift’. Some plastic surgeons describe simply the injection of stem cell enriched fat into the face from liposuction aspirate. Others combine a traditional face lift with the injection of stem cell enriched fat. It is interesting to note that stem cells injected into the face for rejuvenation is actually not a new phenomenon. Stem cells are found in our fat. And fat injections, also called facial fat grafting or fat transfer, has existed for decades. What IS new, is the immediate availability to process this fat and extract stem cells to enrich the fat that is being transferred. And why is this important? Well, it may NOT be. In fact, there is no FDA approved aesthetic use of stem cells in the United States. This means that its safety AND efficacy has not been established for rejuvenating the face. Despite this, many different machines and techniques exist for isolating stem cells in the United States. Many plastic surgeons use these machines to enrich their fat for transfer during face lift surgery. However, most plastic surgeons do NOT enrich their fat with isolated stem cells. Why? Well, 10 cc of fat already has over 1 million stem cells. AND, there is no evidence that any more than this adds any benefit whatsoever to facial rejuvenation outcome. Lastly, you may be asking about why stem cells are at all interesting and have been the focus of intense media attention. Consider stem cells as baby cells. They have the ability to mature and theoretically heal. If they survive the transfer process, it is thought that these stem cells can rejuvenate skin and tissues with their innate healing capacity. While very interesting, the jury is still out. In Beverly Hills, where beauty and the market to create beauty is fierce, the stem cell face lift isn’t a bad way to attract more patients and charge a lot more, even if it does’t work. You be the judge.