Procedures presented as stem cell skin treatment usually harvest the person’s own fat and inject the cells from it into the skin. What is used is not culture-expanded stem cells, but a cell mixture isolated directly from fat (SVF). Fat harvest and isolation are required before the skin injection, and evidence supporting wrinkle improvement has not yet accumulated sufficiently.
What is used in a same-day procedure
International societies treat same-day isolated SVF and culture-expanded cells as different materials. Even when advertising calls both “stem cells,” what is actually placed in the body can differ.
Culture-expanded cells are handled as medicinal products in Korea. Same-day isolated SVF is not cultured, and legal handling differs depending on how it was isolated.
| Category | Same-day isolated SVF | Cultured cells |
|---|---|---|
| Culture outside the body | Not performed | Cultured to increase cell numbers |
| Handling in Korea | Varies with isolation method | Medicinal product |
| Procedure flow | Can be injected on the harvest day | Not injected immediately on the harvest day |
A closer account of the cells’ name and identity is in SVF, often called adipose stem cells, differs from cultured stem cells.
From harvesting fat to placing it in the skin
The first step of the procedure is fat harvest, not a skin injection. From the abdomen or similar sites, an instrument is inserted to harvest fat. The anesthesia method at the harvest site, the harvest volume, and the time needed for recovery should be confirmed separately from the skin injection.
From the harvested fat, the portion that contains cells is collected. The method that uses enzymes loosens the material holding the cells and detaches them, and the method that uses a device physically minces the tissue. Several countries regard enzymatic isolation as a method that has processed the tissue further and treat it as a subject of regulatory review.
Once isolation is finished, the collected cells are injected into the skin in portions. Which sites and skin layers receive how much is set by the medical institution’s procedure plan.
| Step | What is actually done | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Fat harvest | Fat is removed from the abdomen or similar sites | Anesthesia, harvest site and amount, recovery |
| Isolation | The cell-containing portion is collected with enzymes or a device | Isolation method |
| Skin injection | Injected in portions into the planned skin layer | Injection site and plan |
The overall sequence, and how it differs from other autologous procedures, is set out in SVF procedure details and NovaStem, SVF, and PRF comparison.
Changes confirmed in the skin
The two studies were pooled, but results that would support saying wrinkles decreased were not obtained, and the results of the two studies also differed substantially from each other. Pigment changes also went in different directions from study to study.
In one study, elasticity and the density and thickness of the inner skin increased, but instrument-measured wrinkles and the appearance of the nasolabial folds remained at a similar level to before the procedure. The density of the outer skin layer also stayed the same.
When laser or the platelet-rich portion collected from blood was used as PRP together, better results were reported than with SVF alone. This record is the result of the two procedures together, so a separate study is needed to read it as a change from SVF alone.
※ Methods, observation periods, and assessment tools differed from study to study, and some results came from studies that observed only one group, with no comparison arm.
Adverse events reported so far
The adverse reactions mainly reported in clinical data were temporary pain, swelling, and inflammation at the injection site. Serious problems such as vessel blockage, tissue hardening, infection, and tumors were counted as 0 reported cases in data that pooled clinical cases. The data are few and the observation periods are short, however, so the range currently confirmed is short-term safety.
In data that pooled studies adding SVF to fat grafting, the frequencies of infection, cysts, fat necrosis, and tumor recurrence remained similar to pre-procedure levels for up to 4 years. These findings come from conditions different from injecting SVF alone into the skin.
Risk also changes when the injection route changes. Cases have been reported in which autologous adipose-derived cells were injected into the eye in 3 people, who developed severe vision loss in both eyes. This is why you need to confirm where and how the material is placed, not only the fact that it is your own tissue.
Questions created by law and regulation
As this law uses the term, advanced regenerative medicine is a system for treating severe, rare, and intractable diseases, and eligible patients are limited to that range. Skin aesthetics is excluded here, so if you hear the phrase “advanced regenerative medicine approval,” you should ask back which process and which disease it refers to.
Autologous adipose-derived SVF technologies listed after national assessment cover only two specific diseases, and the conditions are also tightly set. Zero technologies are listed for skin or aesthetic purposes. This distinction is not a criterion for judging whether a procedure is legal; it shows which technologies appear on the national assessment list.
Before a procedure, it is more accurate to confirm the actual steps of harvest, isolation, and injection than the name.
- □ Is the fat isolated with enzymes, or with a device?
- □ Is the material injected on the same day non-cultured SVF?
- □ Did you hear which process “advanced regenerative medicine approval” refers to?
- □ If listing is cited as a basis, did you confirm the listed disease and the conditions of use?
- □ Did you hear separately about the risks of fat harvest and skin injection, and the recovery period at the harvest site?
- □ Medications, pregnancy or breastfeeding, active infection, and autoimmune disease — did you report these before the procedure?
On the quote, check separately how much of harvest, isolation, injection, and combination procedures the amount includes. General criteria for choosing a medical institution, including facilities, infection control, and emergency response, are in How to choose a clinic for stem cell procedures.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Does the SVF procedure hurt?
An instrument is inserted when fat is harvested, and the isolated cells are injected back into the skin. The data mainly reported temporary pain and swelling. Confirm the anesthesia method at the harvest site and the skin-injection method separately.
Q2. Is it safe if it is autologous tissue?
Autologous tissue means the material was obtained from you. The risks of fat harvest and of skin injection each remain, so the two steps should be explained separately.
Q3. Can it be combined with laser or PRP?
The research includes records of laser or PRP used together. Whether to combine them, and in what order, should be decided before the procedure. Results after combined use are more accurately read as the result of the two procedures together.
Q4. What health conditions should I report before the procedure?
If you take medicines or are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have an active infection or an autoimmune disease, you should report this before the procedure. If you take blood-thinning medicines or immunosuppressants, report those as well.
Q5. Are SVF and PRP·PRF the same procedure?
SVF is obtained from fat, and PRP and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) are prepared from blood. Because the harvested tissue differs, the isolation method and preparation sequence also differ. A closer account of the difference is in Difference between PRF and SVF.
Results, duration, and suitability vary with individual skin condition, age, and lifestyle, and the same outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Procedures may cause temporary redness or swelling, and contraindications may apply, so please confirm these during your consultation.
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical care. Please confirm diagnosis and treatment suited to your condition during a consultation.
Source materials
- Bourin P et al. (2013), Cytotherapy: Stromal cells from the adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction and culture expanded adipose tissue-derived stromal/stem cells: a joint statement of the International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science (IFATS) and the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) (PMID 23570660)
- Dominici M et al. (2006), Cytotherapy: Minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement (PMID 16923606)
- Trivisonno A et al. (2019), Stem Cells Transl Med: Intraoperative Strategies for Minimal Manipulation of Autologous Adipose Tissue for Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapies: Concise Review (PMID 31599497)
- Chon J et al. (2025), Aesthet Surg J Open Forum: A Systematic Review of Adipose-Derived Cell Therapies on Skin Quality (PMID 40852442)
- Amirkhani MA et al. (2016), Bioimpacts: Rejuvenation of facial skin and improvement in the dermal architecture by transplantation of autologous stromal vascular fraction: a clinical study (PMID 27853678)
- Hakami AH et al. (2025), Cureus: Adipose-Derived Stem Cell, Stromal Vascular Fraction, and Regenerative Cell Enrichment in Fat Grafting: A Systematic Review of Safety and Functional Outcomes (PMID 41555993)
- Nonnarath C et al. (2026), Stem Cell Res Ther: Safety profile of autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction in clinical use: an exhaustive literature review (PMID 41618435)
- Kuriyan AE et al. (2017), N Engl J Med: Vision Loss after Intravitreal Injection of Autologous "Stem Cells" for AMD (PMID 28296617)
- Korean Law Information Center: Act on the Safety of and Support for Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Biological Products, and its Enforcement Decree
- Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare: notice of New Health Technology Assessment results on safety and effectiveness (effective August 10, 2026)
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