What Happens After a Facelift/fat Transfer Procedure if You Lose 10-15 Lbs Post-op 2nd Week from Stress over the Facelift?

I am over 60 and had a facelift over 10 years ago and was seeking to volumize parts of my face. I liked my face the way it was prior to this surgery and have lost 12 lbs. in a week going from 110 to 98 lbs. because my face was pulled so high and tight and I don't like the way I look now. I believed I needed the facelift in order for the outcome of the fat transfer to be better and it has caused me so much stress. The swelling has gone down but it also looks like my face is deflating.

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age 55-64 weight loss fat graft

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by Scruffles

Doctor Answers (8)
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10 lb Weight Loss Following Facelift and Fat Grafting

A 10 lb weight loss following facelift and fat grafting should not compromise results in most people. If you are a very small person with very little body fat, gaining the weight back should restore the volume.

Weight Change after facelift and fat transfer

In general marked weight loss and gains accelerates the aging process, however I suspect that once you gain your weight back you will do well. The transferred fat that has taken will respond to the weight gain and should recover its normal volume.

Fat transfer plastic surgery

Dear Scruffles, Don't fret, just re-gain the weight and the fat should swell back up in your face Stress often becomes a vicious cycle, you stress, eat less, lose weight, lose more volume, stress etc That is way too dramatic of a weight loss in one week, so eat as much as you can..pasta, ice cream, steak, rice Best regards, Nima Shemirani

Facelift/ Fat Transfer and Weight Loss

Your question is a bit confusing so I will try to separate the parts to give you an answer. It is fairly rare in a secondary facelift to need to redo the entir lift as certain areas of the face tend to age and are more obvious than other areas. Your weight loss is problematic as it represents roughly 10% of your body weight. After two weeks your postoperative swelling should be going down yet two weeks is not enough time to determine the "take" of the fat grafts and at this point... more

Paul S. Howard, MD

3 reviews

Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Fat cells get smaller but do not go away when you lose weight

Hello, Thank you for the question. When weight is lost, fat cells, those that are there as well as those that were grafted, get smaller but do not go away. So as you gain weight again the fat cells get bigger again. All the best, Dr Remus Repta

Weight Loss Post-Operatively

I typically tell patients that up to 15 pounds of weight loss should not have a much of an impact if at all on the results of a facelift. Realize too that swelling typically goes down pretty quickly after a fat transfer, so that is a large part of this is due to the resolving of swelling.

Weight Loss From Post Operative Stress

Thank you for the question. Any surgical procedure can lead to "feeling stressed". It is unusual to have what amounts to a loss of 10% of total body weight. You need to see your plastic surgeon and discuss this with them. They may want to give you a sedative, Xanax or Valium, to help you relax. They will also explain that at this point you are very early on in your healing process. This will translate into a tightness on the face due to the inflammation and the scarring that is currently... more

Stress and weight loss following face lift and fat transfer

First, it is not unusual to feel stressed following any surgery including a face lift and/or fat transfer. If the stress is severe and your losing weight check with both your surgeon and your primary physician. they may want to consider giving you a medication temporarily, to make you feel more comfortable and, hopefully help you gain back the lost weight. At your normal weight of 110 lbs. a 10-15 lb. weight loss is substantial, can make your face look deflated, and should... more