Study on Age-Related Facial Fat Changes Using 3D MRI and a Novel Algorithm.

IF 1.9

Aesthetic surgery journal. Open forum Pub Date : 2026-04-01 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.1093/asjof/ojag028

Mingxia Sun, Qi Zhou, Yingtong Wu, Jian Hu, Xiaoling Luo, Xueni Lin, Wenjun Wang, Jin Zhou, Chao Zou, Zhiwei Li

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Abstract

Background: Age-related changes in facial and cervical fat distribution play a critical role in aesthetic appearance; yet, quantitative evidence remains limited.

Objectives: This study aimed to quantitatively characterize regional fat distribution patterns of the neck and face across different age groups using advanced imaging, and to examine the relationships between age, body mass index (BMI), and fat distribution.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 47 healthy female participants aged 18-65 years. High-resolution 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI) was used to measure fat thickness and volume across predefined anatomical compartments.

Results: Neck fat thickness and volume showed significant positive correlations with both age and BMI, with the greatest increases observed in midlife. Facial fat demonstrated region-specific remodeling rather than uniform descent. Buccal fat pad and nasolabial fold volumes significantly decreased with age, whereas upper facial superficial fat remained stable. Infraorbital fat volume and thickness exhibited a distinct age-related increasing trend, particularly between young and middle-aged groups.

Conclusions: This study reveals potential heterogeneous age-related changes in facial and cervical fat distribution through quantitative imaging analysis. Our findings suggest that distinct fat compartments may age at different rates, which could have implications for understanding facial ageing and related interventions.

Level of evidence 3 therapeutic:

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使用3D MRI和新算法研究年龄相关面部脂肪变化。

背景：面部和颈部脂肪分布与年龄相关的变化在审美外观中起着关键作用；然而，定量证据仍然有限。目的：本研究旨在利用先进的成像技术定量表征不同年龄组颈部和面部的区域脂肪分布模式，并研究年龄、体重指数（BMI）和脂肪分布之间的关系。方法：对47名年龄在18-65岁的健康女性进行横断面研究。高分辨率三维磁共振成像（3D MRI）用于测量预定义解剖区间的脂肪厚度和体积。结果：颈部脂肪厚度和体积与年龄和BMI呈显著正相关，中年时增幅最大。面部脂肪显示出特定区域的重塑，而不是统一的下降。颊脂肪垫和鼻唇沟体积随着年龄的增长而显著减少，而上面部表面脂肪保持稳定。眶下脂肪体积和厚度表现出明显的年龄相关的增加趋势，特别是在年轻人和中年人之间。结论：本研究通过定量成像分析揭示了面部和颈部脂肪分布的潜在异质性年龄相关变化。我们的研究结果表明，不同的脂肪区可能以不同的速度衰老，这可能对理解面部衰老和相关干预措施产生影响。证据水平为治疗性的：

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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