“Lumpy Lip and Uneven Smile After Fat Graft - New York”

Hi, 12 days is still pretty early after lip augmentation and a minilift. However, if the right side continues to stay swollen, small injections of kenelog can help dissolve the fat. I would wait about 4 to 6 weeks more. Best, Dr. S.

Do you mean that your OWN fat was injected into your lips? I'll assume that you do. I can't address fat grafts into lips themselves, but I can address fat grafts (my own fat)that I had injected under my eyes. I had these expensive injections done because the skin under my eyes was weak and thin. Unfortunately the grafts, or injections, I had seemed to fade with time. According to a doctor I saw a few years later, my body resorbed the fat. That was a disappointment. I thought the effect would be permanent. But for you this is good news--the problems you had as a result of the injections will fade over time. Last year I had implants put both under my eyes AND in my lips (these implant procedures are fairly new to the US). But I am very happy with the results of my lip implants. I feel they add a whole new dimension to my face as well as make me look younger. They cost about $2200--less expensive in the long run than repeated filler injections into the lips.

Hi moirai, They were done by Dr. Apostolakis in Austin TX (or an adjacent town, don't recall the name) but his office is on Bee Caves Rd. I highly recommend him. I'm very happy with my under-eye and lip transplants. They make me look a lot younger, esp. the lips.

Thanks for getting back to me. How about underneath your eyes, do they look good and fuller? the implants in your lips do they look real? And it was 2,200 for all of it?

Hi moirai, No, the lips alone were $2200. I don't recall what the under-eyes cost at the moment. If you email me your personal email address, I'll send you some photos--or maybe Trueself has a way I can send you personal photos without me having to post my address and photos publicly. Whatever, I'd be happy to send you some photos.

Moirai, Re: undereyes. Yes, they look 'fuller' and in my opinion, so much better. By the way, the photo of me here on Realself? The one in the column on the left, over my name? That's a 'BEFORE' photo. You can see how hollow my undereyes were even though I gooked them up as much as I could with makeup (the skin under my eyes was actually bluish, it was so thin). I want to replace that photo but I'm not computer-savvy enough to make it happen.

SHARON OF REALSELF.COM, If you're reading this, can you help me (Truecolors) replace the existing half-photo of me with an updated half-photo of me? Thanks!

Hi Sharon,

I haven't had a chance to try changing my photo yet. My 96-yo father became very ill shortly after I received your email so I returned to Austin TX and ultimately my father passed away. At Dad's request, we proceeded with my younger brother's wedding 10 days after Dad's death. Dad retired as a Colonel in the US army and his philosophy was "Life goes on, that's an order"--so between my father's illness and death and my brother's marriage I've been in Austin TX off and on for 2-3 months now, away from my own computer and scanner. I will pursue changing my photo when I get back to PA and back to work. Thanks for your help, Sharon.
Yours, Truecolors