What to Expect After Lip Fat Transfer Surgery
It’s easy to think that lip fat transfer surgery isn’t a big deal, but it’s important to remember that it is still a surgery. Your body goes through a healing process every time your body experiences trauma, and it views a fat transfer to the lips as such an event. You will need time to let the fat in your lips settle and integrate into the tissue, and the liposuctioned areas your donor fat came from will also need a little TLC.
Immediate Post-Procedure Symptoms
Immediately after a fat transfer to the lips, you should expect swelling, tenderness, and bruising in the area. You may also experience some numbness or a tingling sensation, which is temporary. All of these symptoms may also occur in areas where you had liposuction to gather the donor fat placed in your lips. A lip fat transfer is a bit more intense than getting dermal fillers, so don’t expect to be back in the office or on the job site for a few days.
Appearance of the Lips in the First Few Days
The swelling and bruising in your lips may be enough to make you self-conscious at first, and it may not be even. Swelling isn’t a precise science, and it may make your lips appear lopsided or asymmetrical for a few days. Your lips may also appear overfilled, but this is by design. Some of the transferred fat cells will die, so plastic surgeons often add a bit more fat than needed to account for this. All of this is completely normal after a lip fat transfer, but you may need a few days to let things settle before you venture out into public—your lips will look worse before they look better.
Normal vs. Concerning Symptoms
Most patients recover from their fat transfer procedure fairly easily and without incident. Problems, although rare, can happen, however. It’s good to know the signs of trouble so you can act quickly and contact your surgeon if you see a potential issue. Mild asymmetry and areas of firmness are normal, but severe pain, pus, and increasing redness are not. Neither is an unexplained fever, skin that is hot to the touch, or swelling that begins to get worse after the first two or three days. If you experience these symptoms, reach out to your plastic surgeon right away.
Day-by-Day Recovery Timeline
We understand that surgery is something we do every day, but that’s not the case for you. While we know exactly what you can expect during recovery, you may not, and we recognize that the unknown can feel intimidating. As such, we’ve put together this timeline to help you know what to expect and when as you recover. Your experience may vary slightly since every patient is unique, but it should generally follow this path.
- Days 1–3
- Swelling at its peak, lips may feel tight
- Use cold compresses as directed to reduce swelling
- Avoid talking excessively or stretching the mouth
- Expect to wear a compression garment 24/7 where you had liposuction
- You will need to sleep on your back to avoid putting pressure on your face
- Days 4–7
- Swelling begins to subside
- Bruising may change color or shift down the chin
- Light activity may resume, but you still won’t be hitting the gym
- Return to desk job in about seven days, more physical jobs may require more time off
- Weeks 2–3
- Residual swelling should decrease
- Early fat graft settling begins
- Can return to more public/social settings
- Your surgeon may allow you to wear your compression garment part-time
- You may be able to resume side sleeping
- Week 4 and Beyond
- Most swelling resolved
- Lips begin to look more natural and less stiff
- Patients start to see final lip shape
- Compression garments no longer necessary if your surgeon agrees
- Normal exercise resumes at weeks six to eight
How to Reduce Lip Swelling After Fat Transfer
After your lip fat transfer surgery, remember that you and your plastic surgeon are a team. Your surgeon and patient care team will take excellent care of you while you’re with us, but we need you to take good care of yourself when we send you home. One of the ways you can do that is to take steps to minimize swelling. Doing so will help you look and feel better while helping prevent complications. It will also promote better surgical outcomes. We recommend the following:
- Use cold compresses or ice packs as instructed for the first 48 hours (never place ice packs directly on the skin, wrap them in a towel)
- Sleep with your head elevated for the first week
- Eat foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as leafy greens and pineapple (but not on pizza, for the love of God!)
- Stay hydrated
What to Avoid
Doing all of the above will help with swelling, and so will avoiding these things:
- Salty and processed foods
- Touching or massaging the lips
- Smoking and alcohol
- Hot beverages
- Intense facial movement or pressure
Lip Movement and Expression During Recovery
After a fat transfer to the lips, you should avoid lip movements as much as you realistically can. We understand that this is a tall order. Some strategies for doing so include avoiding kissing, whistling, using straws, and other things that make your lips pucker. We include smoking and vaping on that list, but since patients are already asked to avoid those things post-op, we know that those activities won’t be a problem. You may also want to engage in a soft diet to limit chewing.
When you do move your lips to talk, smile, or even chew your food, they will likely feel stiff, awkward, and tight. With time, your lips will start to feel more natural again, but the first week or two may feel, to use a technical term… weird.
Patients can generally resume using lipstick or lip balms about 10 to 14 days after their procedure. Kissing needs to wait a little longer, and you may need to abstain for two to three weeks. During this time, we highly recommend the coveted but often overlooked forehead kiss.
When to See Your Plastic Surgeon
If you have a question or concern during fat transfer recovery, we want to hear from you. Please don’t be shy or concerned that you’ll be a pest. We’re here to help, and we want to do so. Small problems can turn into big ones if left unchecked, so please reach out to us immediately if you experience:
- Persistent or worsening swelling after two weeks
- Uneven results or hard lumps that don’t soften by week four or six
- Unusual warmth, fever, or drainage
- Severe or excessive pain
Our friendly staff is here to help 24/7 when you call the number listed on your post-op care sheet.