What Should I Expect During Recovery from Facial Fat Grafting?

Hi and thank you for your question. Fat transfers are a great option to restore lost volume to the face. A fat transfer will last longer than cosmetic facial fillers and are often a better economical choice, having the ability to use fat in many areas of the face. That said, the recovery time is greater as swelling and bruising typically lasts 1-2 weeks, with the lips taking the longest for the swelling to resolve. The incision wounds are minor and also heal well within this time frame. You may want to wait until you can find a 2 week period off from work and use fillers like Voluma or Juvederm in the meantime. Best of luck to you. 

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

This is one of my favorite procedures, so good choice and enjoy!The swelling and edema will last  a week. If you are one who bruises it is good to recognize that and plan for the worst. Get some arnica cream, use a warm compress and have some good skin tone matched cover-up. If you do bruise (happens to about 20% of patients) then it has to go through that wound healing and absorption phase which can last greater than the week you have off. It should be able to be covered up though. Discuss all of this with your surgeon prior to the operation though, we all have our own little tricks to minimize the recovery issues.Hope this helps.Best of luck,DrC