Hello ffcat - So sorry about this. I wouldn't wish this mess on my worst enemy. 1) FT is tricky to deal with and there are many variables - placement on the face, how deep it's injected, technique, individual factors, etc. - that impact if and how long it lasts. For some, it all goes away. For others, it doesn't. In many cases, some stays and some goes away. 2) a. Cortisone/Kenalog is tricky because it can leave dents. The pigmentation can resolve (sometimes with hydroquinoine, and avoiding sun), and sometimes the dents do fill back in. Cortisone is sometimes only a temporary solution. b. 5FU is more suited for scar tissue than the fat itself. It was somewhat helpful as a first step for me because I did have some lumpy scar tissue. c.micro-lipo isn't too bad to go through. (About a week/week and a half of some swelling and bruising. You have to find someone who you trust to take out just enough. I still have some remaining lumps that are too close to the eye and too tricky to remove. I have to have filler (Belotero or Restylane) injected around them. d. You can also have the lumps cut out, but everything has a risk/reward and I can't speak to when a doctor goes this route vs. micro. You can have some sagging after the fat removal - depending on age and what your original issues were. 3) Brow/Temple - It's amazing what plastic surgery can do with the right doctor. I don't even think about that surgery because it was perfect. Yet, the fat transfer haunts me to this day. Filler and Botox can give you a tiny lift and it's worth trying. That said, it can only do so much. I have no fat in my temples or forehead. The lift won't help volume. It did lift my eyes and brows just enough. I don't have enough skin for a bleph or eye tuck at this point. For volume, I require a lot of filler in the temples. The forehead is a tough place to put fat or filler - so I have to accept that. 4) Fat Transfer to our small, fine -boned faces can have disastrous results in the wrong hands because it can distort our features. A little goes a long way. I would recommend that you proceed very cautiously and do your homework. Don't rush into too much because at some point it can be hard to go back. That said, you can get some relief. We're not made of clay, so going back to your original state is a challenge. . . but with the right doctor, you can get some improvement. LASTLY - did the original doctor tell you it would go away after 6 months? How irritating. When it's convenient for them - they say it's only temporary. When they want to sell you on it - they say it's permanent! If it only lasts six months - why would anyone recommend it!!!???!?!?? Juvederm, belotero, etc can all last 6 months and are much less of a headache.
Thanks pe.ces, A botched job is horrifying enough, but the identity crisis that can follow these types of procedures is not often discussed by doctors - and it's a sentence to hell that's almost indescribable. Even small alterations can change the reflection you've seen in the mirror your whole life and your brain may struggle to reconcile that and find the connection. Your facial animations may seem different. You can feel like a completely different person - not in a good way. Over time and under continued duress, you can notice significant alterations in personality and even exhibit symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In my case, the damage was real as is evident in before and after photos, professional second opinions, unkind words from acquaintances, and the lack of any positive comments and reinforcement that I took for granted prior to the procedure. Like Jenny, a bulging vein under my eye appeared very soon after. Some of the lumps can't be removed because it would be too dangerous for a couple reasons. The temple fat that was added went away immediately, except for a few lumps that were removed by my revision surgeon. I was about 100 lbs and fit when I had this done and still ended up with three lipo dents at the donor site. Crazy and no excuse for that. Based on my results, either too much fat was taken, or it was simply carelessness.
I’ve waited almost two and half years to write this, and I thank you Jenny for opening the door. Dr. Cruise performed an ill-fated Fat Transfer on me. I was suppose to get a slight eye refresher - not unusually placed cheeks we never discussed.
Dr. Cruise’s note above is something he does whenever he gets a negative online review, but when I told him in person that I was unhappy, he told me I looked perfect and sounded crazy. Dr. Cruise can write his note to a couple of the country’s best surgeons from whom I sought help - and tell them they're crazy and blind. Frankly, it would only be without sight that you could have missed the lumps and facial distortion.
He can write another letter to me and include a check for the thousands and thousands it's cost me to try to revise the damage and get my life back –including job loss. I miss my old self, my old life, and my old face every single day.
Two days ago I got up in front of large group and made a formal presentation for the first time since the procedure. I used to love public speaking. . .but when you can’t leave your home because of the daily horror you feel, things like losing your job become the result.
I had worked for weeks on the 16 hours of presentation material I prepared, and when I was done, I received standing applause. At one time, I would have felt joy and relief, but now I have only tears. I’ve been sobbing for two days. I no longer feel any joy or any relief in my life because life exhausts me. No matter how hard I try and how hard I work, self-doubt has consumed my life since being the recipient of Dr. Cruise's handiwork. It has almost killed me – literally.
I find no peace at any corner and friends are in short supply because they too, miss the old me. They miss the girl who used to have a big belly laugh and a smile that could bring the house down. And now, only darkness.
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