ACTIVITY AFTER FAT TRANSFER TREATMENT Avoid bending, lifting, or straining for one to two weeks. Be extremely careful if wearing any “pull-over the head” clothing.
Dietary salt should be limited in order to reduce facial swelling. No strenuous activity for one week after surgery including: exercise, heavy lifting, bending, yard work, cleaning or anything that includes straining or elevating your heart rate. You can apply makeup the day after surgery if needed.
Cold compresses on your cheeks and eye region are recommended for the first 48 hours to decrease bruising and swelling. A rough guideline is to apply every 15 minutes and then take 15 minutes off. If using a cold pack, please place a towel in between the ice and your skin to avoid cold injury.
On average, patients can expect to see their final results in about four to six weeks, at which time the majority of swelling will have resolved, and the fat cells will have settled into their new location.
Avoid placing anything frozen directly on the skin.
Keep your head elevated as much as possible. Lying �lat may increase swelling. Sitting up, walking or resting with your head elevated is recommended. Sleep with your head elevated on 3-4 pillows and sleep on your back rather than on your side for the �irst 2 weeks.
What could go wrong. A surgical fat transfer is generally a safe procedure, but it can occasionally result in: a collection of blood underneath the skin (haematoma) death of fat tissue (fat necrosis)
Following most facial fat grafting treatments, fat graft survival rate is 60%. This surviving fat is permanent, and as such, it responds just like any other bodily fat. If you experience weight fluctuations, you will notice changes in your fat grafting results.
With facial fat transfer, some doctors like to overfill in anticipation of fat loss, but when fat loss is marginal, the artificial-looking pillow face results. The dreaded pillow face can bring unwanted attention and make you even more self-conscious than you were before seeking treatment.
Avoid massage
While it may be tempting to massage your newly placed fat, Dr. Ho Taghva strongly advises against doing so, as it disrupts the new blood supply to the transferred tissue.
Meaning doctors couldn't predict fat reabsorption rates, and it was common for patients to lose most of the fat transferred in the first year. With the unpredictable nature, many patients were left with the results of being overfilled, underfilled, or left with fat in areas where they didn't want it.
Use a pillow: you can keep pressure off your buttocks by placing a pillow on the chair or seat. Cylindrical pillows are the best alternative when you need to sit down for specific activities like driving. Sit on your thighs: you can also try sitting on your thighs while leaving your butt suspended in the air.
Avoid Strenuous Activity for the First 24-48 Hours Post-Injection. To get the most out of your fat dissolving injections, it's important to avoid any strenuous activity for 24-48 hours after your treatment. This means no heavy lifting, running, or jumping - even if you feel like you can do these activities with ease.
After a facial fat transfer, follow your surgeon's instructions. This may include using cold compresses and sleeping with your head elevated. Staying hydrated, avoiding smoking, and refraining from putting pressure on the treated areas are also important.
Coffee can dehydrate you and increase swelling, so it's best to avoid it for at least the first week post-surgery. Alcohol acts as a blood thinner and can cause dehydration and swelling, increasing the risk of bleeding and interfering with medications.
The recovery period for facial fat transfer typically takes anywhere from 7-14 days. Remember: there are two areas that will need recovery. The place on the body where the fat came from and where it was injected in the face.
Moderate (38.3%) side effects such as fat hypertrophy, necrosis, cyst formation, irregularities and asymmetries require a retouch operation. Minor (48.3%) side effects such as prolonged oedema or erythema require no surgical management.
After your facial fat transfer procedure, the fat cells must get sufficient nutrients to establish a blood supply in their new location. Eat foods rich in healthy fats and omega-3 oils like salmon, avocados, and extra-virgin olive oil.
You will be able to sleep on your back and your side after six weeks. Until then, you will need to sleep on your stomach to avoid putting pressure on the fat grafted areas.
Use ice packs liberally in the areas of the face where fat was transplanted for the first 3 days after surgery. This minimizes swelling. If you have any discomfort in the body area where fat was harvested, you can use ice packs for the first couple of days.
Many individuals who have undergone an aggressive buccal fat removal find themselves dissatisfied with their results, especially as they age. Some have expressed regret online, sharing that they feel their faces now look older and less youthful than they would have liked.
The good news is that the amount of fat your body maintains after fat transfer will not decrease any further after the initial first 4 weeks, and will last forever since it's your own natural tissue.
While the transferred fat cells are settling in, you'll need to avoid putting pressure on them. Too much pressure can damage the fat cells and disrupt their blood supply. Be gentle when touching and washing your face, and keep pressure off the injection area when you sleep.
Visibly apparent bruising and swelling in the face will typically resolve within 2 weeks following a fat transfer procedure. By the second week, most patients can get back out in public with a little makeup to camouflage any lingering swelling or bruising.