How Long Will I Be Swollen from Fat Grafting?

Fat transfer is a fantastic technique to rejuevenate the face with natural appearing permanent volume.  It is personally my favored technique for facial rejuvenation.  

Advantages: no incisions, minimal pain, exceedingly rare risk of overcorrection, relatively permanent results in comparison to fillers, low rate of complications (as long as the fat is not injected too superfically!)

Disadvantages: trip to the operating room, cost is typically higher than fillers, 1-2 weeks of bruising, 3-6 weeks of swelling

One week after fat transfer is absolutely normal to have some bruising and apparently "over filled" cheeks.  It takes time for the fat grafts to settle down and for the inflammation (that causes the swelling) to subside.  Occasionally if patients are in need of a short term swelling fix for a social situation, a short dose of oral steroids (Medrol Dosepak) can be quite helpful.

Bottom line: be patient- your observations seem quite normal!


Good luck

More than likely, you will be swollen for a few weeks.Of course, it depends on how much fat you had transferred.  In cases where I inject 40-60 cc, patients may remain swollen for four weeks.  Over 80 cc and they may stay "puffy" even longer.  Depending on how you sleep and what you eat, your swelling will fluctuate.  It also depends on the area.  Temples don't swell as much as the lips, for instance.

Fat transfer is a wonderful way to naturally and beautifully restore lost facial volume. Although there are numerous options to revolumize, fat transfer has some major advantages: it is the longest lasting option to restore volume in the face, functioning essentially as native facial fat once it is transferred; it is your own fat being used, thus is 100% biocompatible; there is an abundant amount available on almost everybody, so there are no limitations to getting the volume you need and achieving full correction; fat is one of our best sources for stem cells, called adipocyte derived stem cells, which yield additional benefits due to the growth factors contained and their effects collateral tissue growth that extends well beyond just the zone of transferred fat, helping contribute to a global improvement in the facial aesthetic.
An extensive amount of planning goes into the fat transfer process, with a comprehensive look at the balance and proportion of the face being blended with the aging changes and anatomy of each individual patient.
The procedure itself is performed utilizing local anesthesia with or without sedation. Fat can be acquired from numerous sites, but choosing a site is usually best planned to help contour the body in the process, thus the abdomen, thighs, and waist are commonly utilized. 
After the fat is acquired, it is processed and prepared into micro- and/or nanofat, which have different properties and are chosen based on the desired areas to be treated. Transfer is then performed with blunt tipped cannulas, as opposed to needles. Different providers will likely have different processing protocols, but I prefer to maximize the stem cell content of my fat, further magnifying it’s benefit. This is a time-consuming and intricate process, thus some people take shortcuts, but the long-term benefits are well worth the extra effort in the preparation process. I also utilize other regenerative medicine modalities, such as platelet rich plasma, to improve the outcome from the fat transfer and expedite the recovery time.
Recovery from fat transfer includes swelling and some firmness that is subtle and can last several weeks to months after the procedure. The transferred fat establishes a blood supply in its new location, a very favorable process which contributes to that inflammation and swelling. 
It is key that the physician performing the fat transfer is well-versed in panfacial volumization, allowing an equal balance and harmony to be created and maintained in the face. Fat should not just be utilized in large volumes in a few spots, but instead utilized in strategic volumes over multiple areas of the aging face.
Overall, fat transfer provides an incredible option to restore volume that is very natural, long lasting and has the added benefit of a healthy dose of stem cells to rejuvenate aging tissues. 
To ensure you are receiving the highest level of care, seek out a modernly trained, new-school dermatologic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon who is board certified and fellowship trained in one of these “core four” cosmetic specialties. Membership in organizations like the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery help to identify a highly trained surgeon.
Cameron Chesnut
#realself500 Physician

Fat injections may cause different extent of swelling depending on the amount of work involved in the implantation process, and the different levels of introduction of the fat. If muscle is injected, then swelling is greater than if only the fatty layer is treated. Several weeks of swelling can occur.

With less bruising, there is typically less swelling and potentially faster recovery, but the face is very vascular, and some bruising is common. This can prolong swelling to some degree, but most swelling and bruising should be resolved by two to three weeks after placement. Over-correction is typically done to help compensate for the inevitable loss of some of the grafted fat, which reabsorbs over several weeks to months. I believe it takes at least several months to determine just how much of your grafted fat survives, and if additional grafting is recommended.

Swelling after facial fat grafting generally takes at least 3 weeks before you can assess fat graft take and another 3 weeks to see if the volume has been maintained.

How long it will take to go away depends on how it was done. Ask your surgeon and he will be better able to tell you.

The swelling after fat grafting can vary from person to person and from area to area. The lips generally stay swollen for the longest period of time. One school of thought is to overfill significantly, knowing that some of the fat will be reabsorbed. My approach is different. I think overfilling to the point that people look distorted for an extended period of time is just not realistic. I also feel that the amount of reabsorption ios not completely predictable. For this reason, I caution patients that in some cases they may require a touch-up or follow up fat grafting procedure to miantain the ideal results. The priicing for follow up fat grafting procedure is detailed prior to the first round of fat grafting. I find that this aproach makes more happier people with a more comfortable, reasonable recovery period and a more predictable end result. 

Yours is the thousand dollar question after cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately everyone is different and some patients can be bruised for a month or sometimes more after fat transfer surgery. Swelling should resolve as well in about a month though a bit of swelling can be present for longer. I would talk with your surgeon to see how much of the fullness is swelling and how much is fat that was placed if you are concerned.

Hello and thank you for the question.

Swelling after fat transfer has a variable window depending on several issues including the amount of fat transfer that was performed, the "depth" with which the transfer was performed, and how many areas were treated. The time it takes for total resolution of swelling can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. I would recommend following up with your clinician to get a better estimate as to what your post-operative course will most likely be.

Best,

Glenn Vallecillos, M.D., F.A.C.S.