Fat Grafted Into Her Upper Eyelids Started to Bulge Three Months Later

Fat was grafted into her upper eyelids. Three months later, they started to bulge.

At the end of 2023 she had autologous fat grafted into the hollows of her upper eyelids. About three months later the upper eyelids began to look clearly puffy, and after she gained weight the bulge became more obvious.

Ultrasound showed the fat sitting in a fairly superficial layer. Upper-eyelid skin is very thin, so superficial fat surfaces easily: its outline shows at rest, and even more when she squeezes her eyes shut.

Among pinhole extractions, the upper eyelid is one of the more demanding areas:

The skin is thin: take too much or too little, and any unevenness shows on the surface

The lacrimal gland sits at the outer upper corner

Deeper still lies the eyeball

So the plan this time was:

1. Confirm the position and depth of the fat with ultrasound first
2. Staged extraction: conservative the first time, then, once healed, see whether anything still stands out, with a second session only if needed
3. Explain before the procedure what the recovery period brings, such as swelling and bruising

She chose to do the right eye first and decide on the left after seeing the result.

A single pinhole was used, with the entry point just outside the tail of the eyebrow — where the tape is in the after photo. There is no opening on the eyelid and no skin incision.

At the one-month visit the right upper eyelid was much smoother, and after discussion no second session is needed for now. One month is still within recovery; the final result settles at around three months.

Having seen the right eye, she has decided to book the extraction for her left upper eyelid as well.

Removing more is not the goal. Take too much from an upper eyelid and a bulge turns into a hollow. Two things matter to me: removing the right amount, and leaving a smooth surface.

The full record of the procedure (entry point, removed tissue, eyes-squeezed comparison): article / case page

Photos used with the patient's consent. Individual case; results vary. Swelling and bruising are common after extraction, and recovery time differs from person to person.

#FatGrafting #UpperEyelid #FatGraftComplications #FatRemoval