Fat loss in the deep fat compartments of the midface is the primary driver in age-related changes in the face, including overlying superficial fat pseudoptosis, according to a study by Lucas M. Boehm, MD, et al, that was published in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (February 2021).
The authors performed a retrospective longitudinal study evaluating individuals aged 30 to 65 years who underwent facial computed tomography followed by a second round of facial computed tomography greater than or equal to 10 years later. The superficial midface, deep midface and buccal fat volumes were quantified using Horos radiology software.
They found that, in the 19 subjects who met the inclusion criteria, the mean total fat volume in the face decreased significantly over the course of 11 years from 46.47 cc to 40.81 cc. When comparing changes to the superficial and deep fat regions, the average superficial midface volume loss was 2.95 cc or 11.3 percent of the initial superficial fat volume (26.10 cc to 23.15 cc). The mean deep fat volume decreased from 11.01 cc to 8.98 cc, an 18.4 percent loss of initial deep midface fat volume. There was no significant difference observed in buccal fat volume over time (9.36 cc to 8.68 cc).
Read the full study here.
