Fat Transfer: Stories
Write a ReviewBad fat overfill - ongoing review
- Unoq
- posted 1 year ago
- updated 1 month ago
- Not Worth It
- Cost: $12,000
- LA
I didn't use to think that fat transfers were...
- 25 Jun 2011
I didn't use to think that fat transfers were a big deal. I'm in my 20s and spent money regularly on expensive juve and resty treatments - thought fat would be more economical in the long run and a worthwhile investment.
Sadly, my surgeon didn't listen, lacked ethics and neglected to exercise good judgement.
After pointing out tiny areas to be done (just as I used to do when getting fillers), I was put under and woke up swollen everywhere. In denial, I thought that the adjacent areas had swelled up around the injections. It turned out that my surgeon changed tack and filled my face without consent.
Result?:
Sunken lips, narrowed smile, pillowing of grafted fat in cheek, yellow discolouration of skin/broken veins, hardened fat panels moving up underneath another big layer of fat in my cheeks, face that doesn't belong to me.
I am now searching high and low for a surgeon to remove some of the fat.
Some important facts I've learned about FTs:
- There are many FT techniques that different surgeons use. Read up online and take time to learn about them - depth, passes, levels, amounts, units (cc/ml)
- Injection of fat is done through mutiple jabs - a more invasive process than fillers
- If you have thin/fair skin, irregularities can be more visible
- Injecting fat into the upper lip gives less tooth show; injecting into the nasolabial folds can turn down the mouth
- Faces deplete with bone loss and skin laxity, in addition to fat loss, so fat zealotry can't solve everything. A simple truth that some PSs haven't quite grasped.
- The resorption of fat in the face can make areas appear larger, as surrounding areas get more hollowed out
- Fat cells behave in the same way as their donor site. Choose yours carefully
- Consider whether you'd enjoy the sensation of filler being injected throughout most of your face, before being swayed by pseudo-scientific data or 'facelifts with fat'
Would I recommend FT? Yes. But as a procedure that is used very sparingly like fillers or sculptura or as an adjunct to other procedures. My experience was based on misunderstanding and ignorance and I've been overfilled this past year.
REMOVING FAT:
The new hobby. Anyone trying to do the same or who's gotten success?
Well, here I am 1.5 years later and nothing much...
- 17 Jan 2012
Some members on RS here have only tried 5-fu injections with some success, others have had micro liposuction, others are considering expensive eyelid surgeries to remove their fat. Some have even had to go through a year of fillers and undergo more fat transfer to correct deformities left by the original. There is also the possibility of having to undergo a facelift to get back the facial contours and restore sagging skin if your problem is very severe. To be honest, I think you need to have a lot of money and time on your hands to fix this procedure, and many of us are exhausted.
I had a lip reduction but it just made things worse. More scar tissue! So that will need to be redone.
What I would say is that if you're young, like I am/was, your options to get rid of this are very limited and you could be stuck with a lifelong problem, so please - anyone in their 20s (or even 30s) - be very careful who you choose for fat transfer and err on the conservative side. Try not to be put under anaesthesia for this procedure and remain awake as an active participant in your treatment.
Haven't been on here for ages and am sorry to all...
- 3 Apr 2013
My Doctor: name not provided
My rating:
I wish I'd placed a higher premium on ethics and character when choosing my surgeon. I did what I thought was the right thing, going to an LA surgoen with a great reputation. The best of hands is an ambiguous term. Fat is great when used CONSERVATIVELY, but too much of a good thing becomes a nightmare and deeply regrettable. Make sure your surgeon listens, draws up plans beforehand and makes plenty of time for you and your concerns. Do NOT take this procedure lightly.
Can you please post the names of the doctors who did these really bad result procedures. It would be helpful to know who to avoid. Thanks!!
If you are going to be talking about me, get it right.
I said I TOOK DOWN MY REVIEW on yelp because I was getting harassed/stalked by "someone" who kept trying to copy my reviews, even the ones not related to his P.S. And if you click the reviews that were filtered on yelp you can see they are all from that "same" person they even stole another reviewers profile icon and used it to imitate them.
Also JLA said she saw my pictures!? How? Which pictures did she see and from who?
Sorry to hear that. No - things are not better, in fact they seem worse, upper cheek still joined to nasolabial fold, puppet look when smiling and obvious asymmetry / uneveness. In the new year I'm going to book some consultations and see if there's anything that can be done. I am really dreading it though, it seems other people have had quite a challenge trying to remove fat, which worries me.
I am not surprised you don't want to wait until next April, is there no one else you can see before then? Which post did you put your photos on?
Q
The truth is that I think doctors who aren't any good with this procedure don't always know where they put the fat in! I'm pretty sure the one who did mine didn't intend to put it so superficially & sag in my skin. He made some very bad surgical mistakes too. I wouldn't be surprised if he got an OR nurse/the anaesthesiologist to do it so he could go off and give someone Botox to make more money. I would say 'an associate' did it but who would even get onto a medical degree with such horrid technique... I could have done a better job myself! It looks that bad that I cannot help wondering, since not only the placement but the technique was clearly awful in my case.
Maybe see your original doc one last time and if he's not very helpful,you could get the report that visit??
This is how I am looking now. It's still hard to tell the difference since I cut off the top half of my face, but you can kinda see the difference.