This section of the forum is dedicated to discussions on various surgical techniques for facial rejuvenation, including fat transfer/fat grafting, browlift, blepharoplasty (cosmetic eyelid surgery), facelift, etc. Also, this category includes questions on hand rejuvenation via fat grafting. (Of note, Dr. Lam does not perform body rejuvenation except for hand fat grafting)
I had fat grafted into my lips and one side of my mouth is bigger then the other. There is lumpyness on the bottom lip (one side only) and the top lip (one side only) is also puffier then the other side. How does a problem like this get corrected? It's very noticable and I am extremely depressed and I cry all the time.
i'm sorry to hear of your situation. the good news is that i fix these kind of lips all the time through lip reduction. visit this section of my website for more info:
(the image shown on that page is a fat grafting correction, btw).
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery
yes, in combination with a lip reduction. i remove just the right amount of fat and reduce the lip too. i remove some of the excess fat that is causing the problem and the small part of the lip that is stretched out too. best, sml
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery
I'm sorry for so many posts but my questions are coming to me in bits and pieces. Firstly, how long do you think I should wait to have this done. I am 2 months post-op and I don't think this will change. Secondly, do you think it would work for a while if I were to have the other side of the mouth (meaning lips) injected with something temporary in order for the puffiness to be the same on both sides? I simply cannot take it any more and I am looking for a temporary solution until I can have this permanently fixed. Thank you very much for your advise.
sure temporary products could help. at 2 months you are dealing with a couple of issues. if you are lucky, the fat will go away by itself. if you are unlucky in that the physician gets permanent results, it might dip further down then actually start to get bigger again several months down the road. this is a tough call to be honest. i can certainly remove the fat at this point. perhaps a phone consult at some point would be a good idea. best, sml
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery
I am very grateful for your adise. You have made me feel better just knowing that something can be done about this awful situation. Honestly, I did not know anything about fat grafts when I had this done. I just discovered all the complications with fat grafting after looking at myself in the mirror. When you say you can remove the fat...does that mean you would not need to reduce my lip because it's fairly new? Thank you. As you can tell, I am very scarred of another plastic surgery.
unfortunately, at 2 months, your fat is "stuck" in there. the way that i remove the fat is by making an incision (that hides very well) and then cauterizing or burning down the fat until it shrinks in size. this is something i do almost every other day. it is my specialty. best, sml
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery
Thank you very much. Now I have a big decision to make, but at least I know I have an option. I'm afraid that another surgery could make things even worse. But, I also don't want to look like this either. But, I guess there are never any guarantees with plastic surgeries.
just wait until your heart tells you the right answer. i am not going anywhere. when the time is right for you, i'll fix your lip. best, sml
Samuel M. Lam, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate, American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Diplomate, American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery