This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about the face and how it can be improved. Previously, we talked about research that shows the lower part of the face tends to widen with age. Another aging factor is how fat is distributed in the face.

Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that fat in the face is distributed into four distinct compartments. When these compartments lose fat with age, the result is a hollow look we often associate with aging. Dr. Joel Pessa, a UT Southwestern plastic surgeon, says knowing this structure can help plastic surgeons do a better job of reversing aging. When fillers or implants are used strategically in these specific compartments, less can be used, and results are usually better. Doctors can also do a better job predicting plastic surgery outcomes when they use this knowledge.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/plasticsurgery to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in plastic surgery.