Fat Transfer Q&A
52%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
136 Reviews
Fat Transferbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Fat Transfer Cost: $3,950

Learn about Fat Transfer

1,090 people and 473 doctors are talking about Fat Transfer

Get Free Email Updates

Puffy and Hyperpigmented Under Eye Area After Pearl Fat Grafting

asked 3 years ago by Babyjoe
Latest answer by Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Question viewed 8,860 times
Tags: hyperpigmentation, puffy eyes

I had hollowness in my lower eyes from a Blepharoplasty that was done 1 1/2 yr ago. I went to a few doctors in NYC who said putting fat back in the lower eyes is easy, but fat grafting the eyes may look lumpy. So I started looking for doctors online, and found one who does this and he says he's a specialist in this. I had Pearl Fat Grafting done through him 2 months ago, and my eyes went from hollow to puffy. I don't like the way I look, and I don't see the puffiness going down, yet he said it takes time. He told me i also had tear trough deformity, which i noticed before he did anything. I also have hyperpigemention under my eyes, which got darker after the procedure. He said it will fade in time. The photo below shows a day pre-procedure, and 6 weeks post-procedure. This doctor always tells me "give it time", but I'm concerned because I have to go back to work soon, and I need something that can help me as soon as possible. What are my options for getting these fixed?

4 answers to Puffy and Hyperpigmented Under Eye Area After Pearl Fat Grafting

+5

Fat grafting to lower eyelids

Fat grafting by any technique is a tricky process for the lower eyelids. Grafts take a long time to incorporate, metabolize and stabilize. most surgeons perfoming a great number of lower eyelid revisional cases wait six months before assessing the final results. However that does not mean you should not be seeing your doctor for microadjustments during that period; this is important as well. With a negative vector face, prominent eyeballs and flat cheeks, the problem with the lower... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

+4

Unfortunately need to wait at least 6 months

It is generally believed that after fat transfer you won't get a sense of what fat will have survived the procedure until the 6 month mark. At that point, if more needs to be placed, or some needs to be diminished, appropriate steps can be performed. Just by your pics it's hard to know if removing fat or adding more to the area below the puffiness would be appropriate. So unfortunately, waiting is your best option.
Min S. Ahn, MD

Westborough Facial Plastic Surgeon
+3

Sorry, but patience is the key

Unfortuneately, you have a common stigmata after standard blepharoplasty, which is hollowing under the eye. 6 weeks post-procedure is still very early and you will need to wait months to know what your results will look like. Generally speaking 20-30% of fat will survive, but sometimes none of it does. Every patient is different. Often times injecting any type of fillers into this area will cause the pigment under your eyes to become more noticeable because the skin is very thin.... more
Samson Lee, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2

No easy answer; Consider fillers

There is no easy answer here. It is possible that your fat grafts will persist and remain firm. However, it appears that your cheeks and body rim remain untreated with relative lack of projection as discussed by Dr. Moelleken and termed the "negative vector" look. For the most immediated option, I would advise fillers to the tear trough, infra- orbital rim, and malar eminence as experienced by Lucetted in the comments section. I would advise the use of Juvederm, but an experienced... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question