LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi dr. lam! i had an ipl treatment done 3 months ago and already noticing significant fat loss on my face and I'm only 28! My cheeks are sagging now as well. I've lost more fat on the right side of my face than my left. I was told that I'm too young to do fat grafting, but I really don't see any other alternative. I look ten years older because of this. I've lost some forehead fat as well and fat on the sides of my temples. I used to have a rounder looking face, but now it's all thin, long and gaunt.The sagging has caused ice pick scars to look more prominent as well as "lines" form due to the sudden sagging.

Is fat grafting the way to go for me?

Sorry to hear of what has happened to you. I would say first of all wait a year to see how things settle out favorably or unfavorably. Fat is safe if done by a skilled provider but has one major risk: future weight gain. That is why in general I like to wait until the mid-30s and beyond with a longer proven track record of stable weight. You can do fillers as well both temporary and permanent. In general, again I typically wait until one's 30s for permanent treatments just to make sure it ages well for you. However, if you understand the risks then I could consider it for you. Fat however is not great for the forehead. It is very hard to fill the forehead in general.

Hi Dr. Lam,

Thanks for the quick response!

I've lost fat around my eyelids, temples on top of everything else I mentioned. So nothing can be done about forehead fat at all? I want to email you my pictures so you can get an idea what has happened. Is this possible? I'm in California, but willing to travel out to see you when the time is right. I've been thin all my life and my whole family is thin. I watch my weight, so gaining massive weight is never really a concern for me. 105 lbs is normal for me - I've been down to 95 lbs and the highest I've been is 115 lbs. I used to have very plump cheeks but they were deflated, which changed my overall look, and I don't like it ONE bit. I look more skeletal now. I've been gaining weight, but it seems like only my body is gaining weight and not my face. I know it's impossible to look exactly the same as before with fat grafting, but is it possible to achieve a similar look to my prior face if I provide pictures?

Sure, send a photo to samlammd@yahoo.com. I will take a look. The forehead is tricky. I would only use long-term temporary products first to make sure everything looks smooth like restylane. Typically when the rest of the face looks good then the forehead does not look that bad.