The Quest for Youth and Beauty

Created on 15th May 2009

FAMI: we investigate how a revolutionary injection procedure of Adipose adult stem cells can provide a viable alternative to invasive surgery

Scared of ‘going under the knife'? For many patients it is the thought of undergoing invasive surgery that is holding them back from tackling any worries about their appearance, but now there is an alternative. Since its creation more than a decade ago, FAMI has transformed the way physicians and patients approach non-invasive facial rejuvenation by offering a unique alternative to the traditional facelift or blepharoplasty without scars, general anaesthesia or even a scalpel.

How we age
Why is the expression of a twenty-year-old face always smoother and more harmonious than the same face at forty?

In a young face, the gaze is soft and deep, the smile is serene, and the cheekbones are bulging. With ageing, the gaze becomes hard, the eyes seem rounder (protruding eyes), and the nose is more prominent. The smile reveals more of the gums (gummy smile), the lips are thinner, and the cheekbones are less bulging.

All of the above contribute to the hardening expressions of the face.

At the forehead and eye levels, one can say that ageing causes a slight receding of bone surfaces and an atrophy of the muscles which give the eyes a sad appearance. The eyebrows fall down, the rings under the eyes are deeper and fat pockets appear in the lower eyelid.

In the buccal region, the mouth hexagon moves backward and creates or worsens the nasolabial fold. This backward movement (bone with muscles) of the cheeks and the mouth causes the nose to appear bigger.

With ageing, the youthful contours are transformed with sharper angles.

How FAMI works
By restoring the contours of the face, FAMI recreates the harmonious lines and eliminates the hard expression of the face.

The gaze is deeper, the forehead is strengthened, the nose appears smaller, the cheekbones reflect the light more and the lips become fleshy once again. The whole face regains its normal harmonious proportions.

The science behind FAMI
The adult stem cells (from a living person and not from an embryo) are unspecialized cells that can, under the right conditions, develop into more mature cells with specialized functions, into muscle, bone and cartilage. Stem cells are the ‘master cells' that could, in theory, be used to produce virtually any type of replacement tissue.

Liposuction is intended as a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure to rid people of their unwanted fat, but this revolutionary new technique has discovered a way to keep the stem cells from this removed fat and put them to use elsewhere in the body.

Unlike the once-popular fat filler injections promoted in the1980s, FAMI (which stands for Fat Autograft Muscle Injection) offers lasting results based on taking adult stem cells from the lower body fat storage areas (mostly the hips) and injecting them into the facial muscle and periosteum, using specialized cannulas adapted to the skull curvatures to create a fuller, more natural and youthful expression.

The possibility of taking years off your face with a non-surgical operation performed in less than three hours is no less than revolutionary and a veritable dream come true for anyone who has ever contemplated ‘going under the knife'. For those who have already experimented facial surgery, FAMI also gives back natural and harmonious look.

The genius behind FAMI
A French plastic surgeon, Dr Roger Amar has been using FAMI since 1997 to repair and rejuvenate his patients. According to Dr Amar, "The majority of patients do not need incisional procedures unless they have extremely sagging skin, and only the FAMI technique can fill the need for a total rejuvenation of the skin, muscles and bones in one session."

The FAMI procedure is simple for the patients - it is performed on an outpatient basis with minimal risk or complications and with downtime ranging from two to five days - but it represents a challenge for the surgeon. The surgeon needs an expertise in facial micro-anatomy and it is Dr Amar's exceptional anatomical knowledge, which has earned him the reputation as an ‘Anatomical Wizard' in medical circles.

Over the years, more than 200 surgeons have travelled to international seminars to personally train under Dr Amar and an estimated 10-15 per cent of the FAMI patients are physicians undergoing the procedure for themselves. What better testimony could a patient ask for?

CASE HISTORY

Name: Lesley Hook

Age: 55

Treatment: Full Face FAMI

I had always taken care of my skin but two years ago I was horrified every time I looked in the mirror. I just saw a haggard, gaunt old woman looking back. It really began to knock my confidence.

I tried everything - from expensive skin creams to Botox injections - but nothing worked and so I started to research the most up-to-date anti-ageing techniques online. FAMI caught my eye, particularly its promise to help plump out the face to give a youthful appearance.

The before and after pictures on the website of people who'd had it done looked fantastic. And I was really excited by the fact that it wouldn't mean having to go under the knife - and I'd be able to go home after a few hours.

The £10,000 price tag and the fact that it was a new treatment held me back for a year but in September 2006 I decided to go for it.

I wasn't nervous because I'd discussed it thoroughly with the doctor. I'd given him a picture of myself aged 32 to work from but I was skeptical about how young he'd be able to make me look.

When I came around I didn't feel any pain. Half an hour later, I left the clinic to return to my hotel. Seven days later, when the swelling had gone down, I could finally see the results.

My face looks so much fuller and softer, without looking false. I went shopping that day and kept being surprised by my reflection. It's subtle but all my friends have said that I look so much healthier and happier. It's just so strange to think that fat from my knees has made me look youthful again. It has made me feel so much more confident and that's worth every penny.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW...

Who is a good candidate for FAMI?
Nowadays many people, using diet and workout, age with a thinner face. Shrinkage of the muscles is the primary manifestation of ageing. In these patients facelifting can produce a mask look.

All patients with gaunt and drawn faces, who are looking for rejuvenation without invasive surgery, can benefit from FAMI. Its quick recovery time means that it is also ideal for those who can't take much time out of their busy lives.

How long does the graft last after FAMI?
The rejuvenation process does not stop since the transplanted adult stem cells keep their properties. Dr Amar maintains without any doubt, that FAMI gives long-lasting results because in the nine years since he has been doing Full Face FAMI procedures nobody has returned to have it redone.

Why would I want more volume in my face?
Because FAMI can give a genuine rejuvenation without the presence of foreign bodies. Instead of tightening and shortening by excision of unsupported skin, FAMI injects the face with our own living fatty connective tissue and adult stem cells, correcting asymmetry and restoring the fullness of youth.

Is FAMI safe?
Fat is a natural filler advocated by thousands of doctors for more than a century. The safest grafts are the auto-grafts, which mean that the patient is grafted with his own tissue. The issue has always been over the long-term survival of the transferred fat and not its safety.

FAMI, unlike standard face-lifting, has been shown to be a very safe procedure with very few complications in the hands of doctors specifically trained in this procedure. Since there is no use of scalpel, the utilisation of blunt cannulas is safer than needles

What is the recovery period?
After FAMI, the bruising is in general insignificant or just around the injection sites and can be easily masked with coverage. The oedema lasts for 2 weeks. Most patients are performing routine duties after two or three days, and public/professional duties after two weeks.

When will I notice the results?
Just after the bruising period of two weeks, the patient will start to notice the natural rejuvenation which will continue for up to six months.

What are the limitations of FAMI?
Some patients with sagging cheeks need facelifting to restore the normal shape. They are not the best candidates for FAMI. After the removal of folds and lines these patients will benefit the most from FAMI, which will give a thorough rejuvenation.

CS&AM