Fat Transfer: Stories

I’m young for plastic surgery and have always been hesitant to mention my age (23) because there is a stigma about people my age coming forward for surgery. It’s an anti-aging industry but I need it too!

Genetically, I totally cannot put on weight - I am about 5’7” and maybe, on my period, I weigh 100lb. I am seriously thin. I inherited this and my hollow bone structure from both my parents’ sides of the family.

I have hollow cheekbones, deep tear troughs, and a very thin chin. I look weak and tired constantly. The only way to deal with this and look “normal” (what is normal anyway?) is plastic surgery. Now I think I will eventually get plastic surgery but last year I tried fillers to see if I liked the results. Temporary first.

I had fat transfers put in my cheeks and tear troughs. It was very expensive and caused a world of problems not mentioned by my plastic surgeons (I have two). I went for my main procedure and after the swelling had four touch-ups done to even out the area and get the results I wanted. From the beginning I didn’t like what was happening apropos of swelling, bruising, etc.

After the first injection I was swollen for two weeks and after the touch-ups I was swollen for a week. The fat transfers didn’t last at all in my body. I think the first shots (building blocks, they said) were out of my system completely by the time I had follow-ups. I chalk this up to my metabolism (i.e. why I can’t gain weight in the first place) but my surgeons should have considered this when recommending fat transfer.

Now I think any filler in my body would do the same thing, but not nearly for the cost I paid! I’m looking at implants now but am looking for new plastic surgeons. I want to find someone I can trust completely; I may even go in pretending to want fat transfer and see if they talk me out of it! That’ll be a good surgeon for me.