Study uses stem cells, fat to repair skin

A new study that's based in Baltimore is exploring the use of stem cells and fat grafting for cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.

As people age, the fat in their face decreases, and that can often make people look older.

A woman in her 60s who 11 News did not identify said she wanted to freshen her look but didn't want to go through a face-lift operation like she did several years before. Instead, Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Craig Vander Kolk used her own fat stem cells.

"By using fat, we can reshape all of that and build it up," Vander Kolk said, pointing to areas upon which the woman wanted to improve.

He is currently conducting a fat-grafting study at Mercy in which he takes the fat stem cells from a patient's abdomen. They are then used cosmetically and for breast reconstruction, among other things.

"If we use them in areas where there's been an injury, they help heal the injury. If we take fat and stem cells, we can make the skin more healthy, improve scars and improve diseases that can cause the skin to thin," Vander Kolk said.

He said fat is better for cosmetic procedures because, while fillers need to be repeated every six months or year, the stem cells and fat stay, leaving a longer-lasting result.

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Study uses stem cells, fat to repair skin