How long will swelling last after face lift and fat transfer? (photo)

Question

I had a facelift & fat transfer on 12th Nov .Fat transfer amounts (3cc lower eye,1cc upper, 2cc temple,3.5 cc buccal, 0.5 cc upper lip, 0.5cc lower lip, 1cc chin, 2cc jawline) pls tell me if these amounts are conservative & how long the swelling from the fat transfer will take to settle. Also when the face lfft swelling will subside. My whole face area is still swollen, I have lost definition between my cheeks, & face & under the eyes. The swelling is worrying.

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

The photos provided aren't helpful in assessing your situation.  However, concern about swelling at this early juncture in the healing process is fairly typical.  I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your Surgeon, although you should be seeing more substantial reduction of swelling at the 3-4 week mark.

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

#Healing varies from person to person, but patients can generally expect to be presentable within three weeks from surgery. The healing process in general can take up to one month for the majority of swelling to subside, incisions to close, sutures to come out, and for bruising to completely go away.Patients should expect swelling, bruising, and discoloration of the skin during this phase of recovery (swelling normally goes down after 48 hours; most bruising will go away within two weeks). For example, the marks from a facelift can easily hidden with “camouflage” make-up which you can learn how to apply.Also, the scars from a facelift mature within six to twelve months from the surgery date. It is during this time that the rejuvenating effects of the procedure(s) will become apparent and the real result will be seen.If you have certain concerns about the procedures and #healing process, it is recommended to call your board-certified surgeon or their medical staff and discuss those #concerns.

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question and for sharing your experience.  Fat grafting is a great addition to a facelift procedure as part of your aging concerns can be attributed with loss of facial volume.  Swelling may be more pronounced after fat grafting.  The majority of the swelling may resolve after 2 weeks, however, your tissues will continue to change, soften and heal over the ensuing months.  Continue to follow-up with your surgeon during this period.

Miguel Delgado, MD · Answer

The facelift surgery in itself has a significant amount of swelling and with you add the fat injection it becomes very pronounced.  You will need about8 weeks.  Sleeping elevated helps very much.  Good luck

Scott K. Thompson, MD · Answer

Swelling with facelift surgery alone tends to be maximal in the areas of the lateral face (sides), but when fat transfer is added, this is typically more in the front areas of the face.  Because of this, when fat grafting is performed simultaneously, swelling does not necessarily last longer, but may involve more of the face overall.  In general however, expect 2 to 3 weeks of swelling with the combination of these two surgeries and even longer in some cases.  Good luck.

Ivan Wayne, MD · Answer

You are dealing with two issues. Number one is the swelling from the surgery-both a facelift and fat grafting cause swelling. Typically it takes 2 weeks for the bulk of the surgical swelling to go down enough to go out in public, and 6 weeks for all the swelling to go down. The second issue for you is the volume from the fat grafting. Most studies suggest about 1/3 of grafted fat volume survives-so a good surgeon will over graft to some degree to account for volume loss. It may take 3-6 months for all the fat that is going to re-absorb to disappear. So, you have two factors at work and it appears that your course is pretty typical for the surgery you had.
Good luck, I hope this helps you.

John J. Martin, Jr., MD · Answer

Some of the fat will still resorb, and the residual swelling will subside.  At about 3-4 months you should be looking pretty good, although it can take at least 6 months to really look normal.  Those are modest amounts of fat injected.

Gilbert Lee, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Fat grafting can swell significantly for a while. Patients experience the most swelling the first 2 weeks but it is common to have moderate swelling for 6 weeks or more. You should slowly see the swelling go down over time. In our office, we recommend our patients sleep with the head elevated on at least 2 pillows. Good luck!

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

A total of 30 cc's fat transferred is an average amount. But the after posted photo does show a roundness, not sure why??

John Frodel, MD · Answer

We advise our patients that it will take 3-6 months for complete resolution of swelling after facelift procedures.  This is made less predictable because of the fat injections, as fat will resorb to varying degrees.  Regardless, try to be patient and you should see nice improvements over the next few months.

How long will swelling last after face lift and fat transfer? (photo)

Answers (10)

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