How long should you wait after facial fat transfer to get a rhinoplasty?

You would need to wait until there was no swelling of the nose and the fat transfer has fully healed. The nasal swelling is the most important because the surgeon will want to be able to feel and see the changes made during rhinoplasty. You would also want the fat transfer to heal because some of the fat will be lost. Part of the artistry in rhinoplasty is making sure the nose “fits” the face by looking at the nose with the rest of the face instead of just the nose alone. Without knowing exactly how much and where the fat transfer was performed, I would generally recommend waiting at least 6 months prior to proceeding with rhinoplasty.

It would be safe to have a facial fat transfer and rhinoplasty during the same operation, since fat transfer should not include any placement to the nasal area. If these two procedures are separated, I usually wait about a month minimum between surgeries if possible to ensure the healing process from the first surgery is matured. Hope this helps!

Dear heydoctors,
you should be fully healed prior to surgery. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Before undergoing a rhinoplasty, it's important that there's no swelling in your nose, therefore probably best to wait a couple months.

How long after fat transfer can a Rhinoplasty be performed? it depends on where the fat was transferred to. In many cases fat is transferred to the cheeks which are immediately adjacent to the nose and affect the way it looks on the face. In order to have full resolution of the swelling so the nose is not distorted, and in order to let the transferred set fully “take“, I would give it 4 to 6 months. Probably six months is more judicious if you are not in a particular hurry.

Hi there! The results from fat transfer can take 1-3 months to settle in place. If grafting was done near the medial cheeks, lips, or around the nose, it is definitely worthwhile to take at least 3 months for the results to finalize. By waiting, you get to see exactly how the nose, if at all, has changed. Hope this helps!