Scalp Fat Injections

Q: Dr. Eppley, I have linked you to an article you wrote in 2015 dealing with injecting fat into the scalp. I was under the impression that by injecting anything (fat) to a tight scalp it would make it more tight. However you state that introducing adipose tissue is actually beneficial for the scalp. Can you elaborate on this? I am interested in a solution to a thin/tight scalp. Thank you. 

A: Injected fat is a soft tissue expander/relaxer even if none or only some of the fat survives. It is a simple volumetric principle of stretching the connective tissue between the dermis of the scalp and the underlying galea against the bone. Any fat that survives has to displace/stretch the existing scalp tissues. Any fat that survives pushes the scalp outward and, because it is fat, the scalp will eventually become softer with its survival since it is adding a tissue the that is softer than what most of the scalp is naturally composed. 

The key in injecting fat into the scalp is to place it above the galea and right under the skin. This is the easiest tissue plane to enter with a blunt cannula.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana