Why do you have to wait 1-3 months after fat transfer to face before you get another one?

Question

Hi I’m 23 f 5ft2 and 53kg. I want to get lots of fat transfers till I achieve the look I want as it doesn’t normally make much difference. What are the implications of getting a fat transfer to early?

Karthik Ram, MRCS, DNB · Answer

Hello anna, 
Fat transfer for face is best done in staged manner. Atleast 3 months gap is recommended to know the result of previous stage so as to plan the volume for next stage. This time will also help you get accustomed to new face volume and to find the most acceptable volume according to your needs. 
Consult a board certified plastic surgeon for the expert care. Hope this helps.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

It takes time for grafted fat to differentiate into fat that’s going to survive versus fat that will die and need to be absorbed by the body. During this process there’s a fair amount of inflammation causing swelling and formation of scar tissue.

It takes time to see the results of each round of fat transfer and the surgeon needs to know what the baseline final outcome looks like to know how much to graft for the second round and where to put the fat.  likewise, early grafted fat is delicate and can be damaged easily by a premature second procedure.

Early scar tissue makes operating technically difficult and internal scar tissue takes six months to mature.

Rushing into multiple facial procedures does not sound like a good idea and sounds like an impulsive immature approach.

I suggest you let the surgeon do the operating including determining the frequency of treatments.

Best,

Mats Hagstrom MD

Robert T. Buchanan, MD (retired) · Answer

Hidden in your question is a larger, more important  underlying question, why do you think you must get "lots of fat transfers" to achieve your desired result. I will try to answer both. Fat grafting is the transfer of living fat cells from one place on the body to another. When done properly by an expert in reasonably vascular tissues, 75-85% of the fat cells transferred survive and remain where they are placed. If the surgeon overfills about 10% to account for the small amount of loss, at the most, you should only require one additional grafting to complete what you desire. With poorly vascularized tissue, it may take more sessions, but this should be rare in someone your age with no previous injury to the area. The reason for waiting is that you need all the swelling from the initial procedure to resolve and for the body to remove any cells that die so you can see what then needs to be done to achieve your desired result. This time period is about 4 months. Doing a repeat graft before this risks an unsatisfactory result.

Why do you have to wait 1-3 months after fat transfer to face before you get another one?

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Answers (3)

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