When Can I See Final Result of Fat Grafting Done in Face?

Dear Gabrielle,

-Because everyone has a different technique it is hard to say for certain

-I would say after 6 months you can tell because at that time, the swelling has come down and you can tell how much fat has survived

Best reagards,

Nima Shemirani

In our practice, we judge our post op results at 3-4 months. Others may suggest longer, but there is no research that has really compared results between 3 months and 6 months.

Normally you can see the final results for fat grafting take after 4 to 5 months. All the swelling will improve and absorption has occurred.  Changes continue up to one year however

In the early weeks, much of the volume change seen is swelling. There is often a period of relative under correction around 2-4 months while swelling is gone but grafts are not yet fully healthy. I would consider 4-6 months a reasonable time to evaluate final results. 

I use the time period of three months after fat grafting to judge the final result of volume retention. Theoretically, some talk about a longer period to allow for potential 'volumizing' (stem cell conversion into fat cells) but that has not been a clinical effect that I have seen.

The final results of fat grafting depend on what you are looking at.  Volume issues generally stabilize at about 4 months post op, meaning initial fullness may be a combination of swelling and fat cells, but the majority of swelling will be gone about 4 months after surgery.  If you are looking at skin quality (texture and wrinkling)these  may take longer before you see the inal result.  In general, we take our "after" photos at about 9 months to a year after surgery so our patients can see what to expect after swelling has  resolved and skin quality has stabilized.