Will Hard Areas After Facial Fat Transfer Ever Go Away?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I would like to know how long take scars go away from a fat transfer operation. They got some fat from my tummy and put under my eyes. I had a sleepy look eyes. It looks one side it’s kind of went down but my other eye (I mean under the eye) still all puffed out and doctor says its “scar”. It’s hard and it seems like slowly slowly is going away but I’m 10 months now after the surgery and still hard under the skin, 

I would like to know if it will EVER go away that scar or will EVER become soft as the fat suppose to be? And if so WHEN? I’m really desperate. It’s my face and I don’t like that people looking at me like what happened to me. The idea was to look better not worse. :o((

A: Unfortunately you are asking a question about a clinical result that I have not yet seen with facial fat transfer. The biggest after surgery issues with injectable fat grafting is how well it survives and irregularities. (lumps/bumps) I have never seen persistent hard lumps many months after its placement. I would assume that it is fat and may or may not be some scare tissue. Certainly ten months is a long time but as long as there is some improvement in it, patience would still be warranted. I would also consider very dilute Kenalog (steroid) injections into to to encourage additional softening.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana