POSTED UNDER Facial Fat Transfer REVIEWS
Don't Do It! Gave Me a Chubby/pig Look After Fat to the Cheeks
ORIGINAL POST
I had a fat transfer procedure done 3 months ago...
Nick_Male_40August 29, 2010
$1,500
I had a fat transfer procedure done 3 months ago to the cheeks and I'm praying it will all dissolve and go away. However, I'm already consulting another plastic surgeon to see what they can do to correct the pig look this fat grafting did. I wish I did more research to realize that the satisfaction rating for this procedure is very low. I had fat placed in my cheeks and trust me, it looks awful.
What most people don't realize is that when you change a feature on your face, it highly impacts everything else, and not always in a positive way. The end result of my procedure gave me chubby cheeks and that pig look. This is actually quite common from my more recent research. If you're thinking about this, go to someone that specializes in doing faces only, but even then I would think twice until this procedure improves.
Nick_Male_40's provider
Replies (9)
October 28, 2010
It's been 5 months since I had this done and very slowly the fat is dissipating. Not so good if you want to keep your results, which I DO NOT. I can still see some lumps from where my doctor filled the fat unevenly, but it doesn't look as bad overall. I still have chubby looking cheeks, but I'm hoping the fat will go away completely within the next 3-4 months. If you're thinking of doing this procedure, think twice, because it's not something you can reverse.
July 8, 2011
You can still lose face fat the natural way if some surgery did not work very well. Do cardio exercises like walking, running, and swimming. Include some fruits and vegetables in your daily diet to make sure you are getting the right amount of nutrition to boost your metabolism to burn fat faster.
July 8, 2011
Cecil - are you certain about your advice, as it relates to reducing the effects of fat transfer? Can you cite a reference that could help others in the community with this concern?
July 11, 2011
I think Cecil is being naive here, or clearly doesn't understand what fat grafting is. Exercise and diet aren't going to reduce the fat (I exercise 6 days a week, and follow a strict diet). It's now been 1 year and 3 weeks post treatment and I've not seen any changes, e.g. reduction in fat. Of course, if you wanted the fat to stay, this would be awesome, but not so in my case. Might bode Cecil well to do some homework before posting comments.
January 2, 2012
I'm curious too. What percentage of the fat do you think reabsorbed?
And also, if you're looking into lipo for the excess fat, I'd say be careful. I'm in a bad situation after facial lipo and 1.5 years later, I have practically no natural fat left on my face from atrophy post procedure. I think after the initial results, the injured fat not intended to be lipo'd out dies off resulting in an emaciated, 3rd wold country citizen look.
And also, if you're looking into lipo for the excess fat, I'd say be careful. I'm in a bad situation after facial lipo and 1.5 years later, I have practically no natural fat left on my face from atrophy post procedure. I think after the initial results, the injured fat not intended to be lipo'd out dies off resulting in an emaciated, 3rd wold country citizen look.
January 3, 2012
I think probably 10% at best reabsorbed. I don't look as bad as before, but still look chubby, which I never looked like prior to the fat grafting. I'm now 1 1/2 years post procedure. At this stage, I don't think I'll do anything but wait to see what new procedures come onto the market.
UPDATED FROM Nick_Male_40
Well, I'm 1 year and 8 months post the fat...
Nick_Male_40February 10, 2012
Well, I'm 1 year and 8 months post the fat grafting. The lumpiness has gone, and I look better than at the beginning, but still have the chubby cheeks. If this procedure was something I was happy with, I guess I would be very excited with the longevity of the fat graft. However, that's not the case here. My guess is that at 20 months post surgery, I'm stuck with this. I think the worst part about this is that surgeons will overfill with the expectation that a good portion will be absorbed back in to the body. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with me.
Replies (9)
May 14, 2013
As a follow up, I had microliposuction to remove the excessive fat and couldn't be happier with the results. My doctor said it will be 3 months before I see the full results, but even after almost one month it's a huge improvement and I no longer have the chubby look.
November 5, 2013
I ended up getting a cheek reduction with microliposuction and couldn't be happier. No more chubby cheeks. Note that diet and exercise will not reduce the fat after fat grafting.
August 6, 2014
And you are very happy, no lumps or scars or anything? I need to get this fat out of my cheeks, but keep hearing neg comments about the possible procedures (micro-lipo or 5FU injections). Would you be comfortable showing any before/after photos? And what was the cost for the micro-lipo? Pls feel free to PM me and I'll give you my private email there if you are willing to correspond! THANK YOU! NYTN
August 15, 2014
Hi NYTN:
I did micro-lipo and I don't have any bumps at all. I already posted before and after pics, so you should be able to see them, let me know if you can't for some reason. As for price, I think I paid $3K. I know how you feel about getting the fat removed, it made me look like crap, and I couldn't be happier getting it removed.
February 23, 2016
Hi Nick, I know it's been a while since you posted but I wondered if you can remember the quantity of fat added to your cheeks?
February 29, 2016
Hi Ruga, I'm afraid I have no idea who much was used. It's been 5 years now since I had it done.
November 8, 2017
I'm in the same boat. My face looks older, fatter and saggier now. Can you let me know if your doctor who did the micro lipo is experienced in this type of procedure?
Thank you for sharing and so sorry to hear about your unhappy results. Please do followup with us, how you resolved this...