Fat Transfer in lips still painful, sticky, lumpy after 9 Months. (photo)

Question

Surgeon did a face/neck lift and recommended a lip lift during which he injected abdominal fat into my inner lip mucosa. I was told the fat would dissipate over time but after 9 months it has not and it is still sore and lumpy and my lips get very sticky red and swollen. I look ok if I don't smile but when I do you can see all these lumps and I look weird and my lips are misshapen. My lips feel numb and stiff a lot of the time. Can I get these clumps removed?

Randal Haworth, MD, FACS · Answer

Snowchild, I'm  sorry to hear of your plight. It is generally accepted that you get what you get with fat transfer 2 to 3 months after the initial procedure. If you have lumps nine months after, these are essentially permanent. One could try injecting a dilute mixture of steroid (Kenalog) mixed with 5-fluorouracil and most people will get 30 to 50% improvement with these. Unfortunately, non-invasive treatments stop there. At this point, if lumps still persist, one can consider trimming them down through incisions behind the wet-dry junction (within the mouth) or adding filler adjacent to the lumps (to smooth  down the vermillion silhouette)  or a combination of the two techniques. Obviously, you can return back to your original practitioner who performed the procedure on you.  If you still have concerns, seeking the opinion of a lip surgery expert would be advisable.

Babar Sultan, MD · Answer

This is the downside of fat transfer to lips.  All fat does not dissipate over time, rather a percentage of it remains permanently.  The outcome is not as predictable as using HA based fillers.  Removing those clumps of fat is also not easy because it is integrated with the tissue.  I recommend following with an experienced facial surgeon to discuss the possibility of removal.  All the best!

Fat Transfer in lips still painful, sticky, lumpy after 9 Months. (photo)

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Fat Transfer in lips still painful, sticky, lumpy after 9 Months. (photo)

Answers (2)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Lift

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