Question: I have recently heard about doctors using a patient's own fat for injection into the naso-labial and marionette line areas, with stem cells. What is your opinion on the safety and effectiveness of this technique?

Dr. Beer's Answer:
I think that injections of fat with stem cells is safe. The effectiveness needs more study to determine the long-term success. As with any injections, there are always risks to putting a needle in the skin. These include minor but annoying ones such as swelling and bruising and more serious ones such as infections and nodules.

The technique is largely dependent on the skill of the dermatologist or plastic surgeon doing the procedure. When I used to do this procedure (without the stem cells) I found that it was not reliable. I could not predict who would or would not have a good outcome so I stopped using fat and now use different products to accomplish the same goal.