Two months after fat grafting, results have completely gone. Can I have fillers now?

Question

i did fat grafting almost two months ago and it is all gone! i compared before and after pictures and all the fullness i had disappeared quickly. I look exactly the same and may be thinner probably because the procedure messed up with a little filler i had put a few months ago. I thought that fat is supposed to last at least three months. what happened? can i do fillers asap?

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Your results with fat grafting is not uncommon in the cosmetic world. Fat injections are so unpredictable and you look like a duck or pillbury's doughboy for 2-3 weeks before you look human again in many cases, then when it is gone at 3-6 months , you start over again. I'm joking slightly but there is a lot of truth in it also. If you gain weight after fat injections, those fat injected areas get bigger also and not evenly.  When fat dies, and most of it will, the fat resorbs uneveningly as well.  We have all had great successes with fat grafting but it is not the norm for anyone. Typically fat injections are done in small amounts every 3-4 months for several sessions. And don't let anyone fool you into getting stem cell facelifts, etc... We are still years away from being able to manipulate stem cells to any great degree where they can be useful. But someday we all hope it happens.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Unfortunately, you have joined the swelling ranks of many people who have had unsuccessful fat procedures. I have had wonderful results on occasion with fat transfers but more often your circumstance is the norm. A surgeon has to be a realist and if the results are not there abandon the procedure except in extreme cases where very large volumes are required and even then results are erratic. Go back to synthetic fillers which are reliable but not long lasting. Simplicity may more valuable with no downtime.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

Unfortunately, your experience bears out the disappointing experience that many of us have had with fat grafting. Although there continues to be a great deal of hype surrounding it, fat grafting is certainly nothing new and has been around for decades. In fact, I stopped performing it twenty years ago when newer and more advanced fillers and volumizing agents began to appear on the scene. Certainly nowadays, with all the natural, more advanced fillers and volumizing agents that are FDA approved and available off the shelf, there is not much justification for fat grafting in my opinion, which involves two invasive procedures, one to withdraw the fat from the hips, buttocks or abdomen, and the other, using large bore cannulas, to reinject it into the face--a process that often leads to quite a bit of post-procedural swelling and distortion that may last up to a couple of weeks..We once thought that using one's own fat was likely to result in long-lasting, if not permanent results. Clearly your experience, like so many others, indicates that this is not the case. Furthermore, the injected fat, if it does remain viable, may be subject to future weight gain or loss, which can lead to undesirable cosmetic effects. Likewise, if there are age-related changes in the regions around the fat grafts in the future, what might have appeared fine when first injected may then appear odd or displeasing. For these reasons, off the shelf, natural, hyaluronic acid products or calcium-based fillers have replaced fat entirely in my treatment regimens. So long as there is no current swelling or residual edema from your prior fat treatments, it is probably OK to go ahead with the use of fillers, but I would strongly urge consultation with a board certified aesthetic physician with experience and expertise in the field before doing so.

Kevin Tehrani, MD, FACS · Answer

You may undergo filler injections at this time after your previous fat grafting procedure. I reserve fat grafting for patients that need tremendous amount of volume which may be cost prohibitive using fillers.  You would need to be examined in person for exact recommendations.

Jacquelline Leva, DO · Answer

Fat Grafting durability depends on different variables, metabolism and overall health. Some people have faster metabolism and fat grafting lasts less time...if you are losing weight or exercising intensively this changes your metabolism and may make fat grafting not last. Maintaing a stable weight is important when fat grafting. You can add dermal fillers to regiment i would wait 2-3 months when swelling completely subsides

Two months after fat grafting, results have completely gone. Can I have fillers now?

Answers (9)

Answer: Fillers after fat injection

Answer: Fillers after fat injection

Answer: Yes can do fillers after fat grafting

Answer: Yes can do fillers after fat grafting

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Everything you need to know about Dermal Fillers

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Two months after fat grafting, results have completely gone. Can I have fillers now?

Answers (9)

Answer: Fillers after fat injection

Answer: Fillers after fat injection

Answer: Yes can do fillers after fat grafting

Answer: Yes can do fillers after fat grafting

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Dermal Fillers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.