As we age, lose weight, or undergo surgery, the body naturally loses volume in both the face and body. Restoring that volume can improve contours, soften hollows, and create a more youthful appearance. Today, patients have more options than ever, including autologous fat grafting, AlloClae, and Renuva.
At SARA Surgery, we help patients determine which option best fits their anatomy, goals, and lifestyle.
Autologous Fat Grafting: Using Your Own Fat
Autologous fat grafting uses fat harvested from your own body through liposuction. The fat is processed and strategically injected into areas that have lost volume.
Common treatment areas include:
- Cheeks and midface
- Temples
- Lips
- Hands
- Breasts
- Buttocks
- Contour defects from scars
Because the fat comes from your own body, it integrates naturally into surrounding tissues. However, fat grafting requires an adequate donor supply.
Many patients are surprised to learn that surgeons often need to harvest three to four times more fat than will ultimately be grafted. Some of the transferred fat will naturally be reabsorbed during healing, making excess harvest necessary.
What Is AlloClae?
AlloClae is one of the newest options available for soft tissue volume restoration. It is a structural adipose allograft derived from donated human fat tissue that has been specially processed for medical use.
Unlike traditional fillers, AlloClae provides structural support and volume in areas where tissue loss has occurred.
It can be particularly useful for:
- Patients who are naturally thin
- Patients who have lost significant weight
- Individuals who do not have enough donor fat for grafting
- Patients who have failed or are unsatisfied with previous autologous fat grafting
- Larger scar defects of the body
For patients lacking sufficient body fat, AlloClae can provide an excellent alternative to traditional fat grafting.
What Is Renuva?
Renuva works differently. Rather than providing structural fat volume itself, Renuva is an adipose matrix that acts as a scaffold for the body’s own cells.
Once injected, it creates a framework that encourages the body to populate the area with its own fat-producing cells over time.
Renuva is best suited for:
- Small facial volume deficiencies
- Minor contour irregularities
- Small depressed scars
- Small soft tissue defects
- Areas where subtle enhancement is desired
Because of its unique mechanism, Renuva is often ideal for targeted corrections rather than large-volume augmentation.
Which Option Is Best?
The answer depends entirely on the treatment area and the patient’s anatomy.
Patients with adequate donor fat often achieve excellent results with traditional fat grafting. Patients who are lean or have undergone significant weight loss may benefit from AlloClae. Small contour defects and facial hollows may be excellent candidates for Renuva.
No single solution is best for everyone.
Personalized Recommendations at SARA Surgery
At SARA Surgery, we perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine which volume restoration approach makes the most sense for your goals.
Whether the answer is autologous fat grafting, AlloClae, Renuva, or a combination approach, our goal is to create natural-looking results that restore balance and confidence.
If you’re interested in learning more about facial rejuvenation, body contouring, or volume restoration options, schedule a consultation with our team in Morton Grove. We’ll help you understand all available options and create a treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
