Can a facial fat transfer be seen under the skin like filler, if not injected deep enough?

 You post several good questions. Clear jelly fillers like Juvéderm, Voluma, Restylane  if injected close to the skin can cause a bluish discoloration because of a prism type affect. This is not seen with fat transfer.  The effects of the treatment are highly operator dependent so it's not possible to say it can lift your cheek or not since this is all dependent on how the the treatment is done.  That is far less predictable than fillers so you should take this into consideration. It is also less precise.  This tends to be more of an issue when injecting around the eyes especially the tear trough.  It might be beneficial to have previously placed fillers reversed prior to having a fat transfer procedure.  Best, Mats Hagstrom MD 

1. Only gel fillers can cause the Tendell effect (blue line). Fat will not do so.2. It sounds like you had filler placed above the orbital ligament. This is not the correct place. This just gives superior puffiness and the appearance go hollow cheeks. This may need to be dissolved before the fat is injected. Fat placed properly in the cheek below the ligament fills the cheek and corrects the tear trough. Just make sure the plastic surgeon doing the fat grafting is an expert in filling this area and in fat grafting.3. Fat retains water like the normal fat of your body, not like some fillers. However, when placed improperly, scarring can cause problems with the lymphatic drainage of the face resulting in swelling.If you have chosen your surgeon properly, you should do well.