What Is Nanofat?
Nanofat is a refinement of standard fat grafting. Fat is harvested from the patient in the usual way, then mechanically processed through a series of progressively finer filters or cannulas until the fat particles are emulsified down to a fraction that can pass through a fine needle. This processed fat is no longer suitable for restoring large volume — that role remains with standard, larger-particle fat grafting — but it retains a concentration of the fat's own supporting cells, including the stromal vascular fraction rich in adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells.
What It Is Used For
Rather than being used to add contour or volume, nanofat is injected superficially, into or just beneath the dermis, with the aim of improving the quality, texture and vitality of the overlying skin. It is used as an adjunct for fine lines and crepiness around the eyes, dullness or thinning of the skin, and to improve the quality of scars — often combined with scar revision or scar management for scars that remain adherent, discoloured or textured.
An Important Distinction: This Is Not "Stem Cell Therapy" as Commercially Marketed
You may see clinics advertising injectable "stem cell therapy" as a stand-alone product or treatment. In the UK, any product involving stem cells that have been substantially manipulated or expanded (cultured) outside the body is classified as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product and requires specific MHRA licensing — the great majority of clinics marketing this are not operating within that framework. Nanofat is different: it is entirely autologous, minimally processed by mechanical means only in the same surgical session, and never cultured or expanded outside the body. It falls within standard surgical practice, not medicine licensing, precisely because of this same-session, minimal-manipulation approach. Mr Naparus does not offer, and would caution against, any injectable product marketed as isolated or cultured "stem cells."
What the Evidence Shows
The evidence base for nanofat's effect on skin quality is genuinely promising but still developing — several published series report improvements in fine lines, skin texture and scar appearance, though study sizes are generally modest and long-term, high-quality comparative data is still limited relative to more established techniques. It should be discussed as a reasonable adjunct with a plausible biological basis, not a guaranteed or dramatic transformation.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Not everyone is a good candidate for nanofat grafting. It suits patients whose primary concern is skin quality, texture or fine lines — rather than a loss of volume or contour, which is better addressed with standard fat grafting or a surgical lift. Patients seeking a dramatic, rapid transformation are unlikely to be satisfied, given the gradual, modest nature of the improvement. It is best considered as an adjunct alongside another planned procedure, rather than a primary reason for surgery on its own.
The Procedure
Nanofat is harvested and processed at the time of another procedure — commonly alongside facelift, blepharoplasty, or neck fat grafting — using fat taken from an area such as the abdomen or thighs where a small amount is easily and safely obtained. It can occasionally be performed as a smaller stand-alone procedure under local anaesthetic where only skin quality is being addressed.
Recovery
Mild bruising and swelling at both the donor site and the treated skin area is expected for one to two weeks. Results build gradually over two to three months as the grafted tissue integrates.
Risks
Bruising, swelling, small lumps or irregularity, infection, and — as with any fat grafting — variable graft survival. These are discussed individually at consultation, alongside a realistic expectation of the likely degree of improvement.