Why Do I Have Lumps Under My Eyes After Fat Injection?

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Question:

I am a 46-year-old male. I recently had fat injected into the hollows of my eyes. The swelling seems to have gone down but there are tiny lumps under my eyes now. Could this be a sign that I’m rejecting the injection?

Answer:

No, it is not likely that you are rejecting the fat injection.  However, it is possible that you have some small fat nodules that you are seeing.  This procedure can be done very safely on the lower lids and typically does not produce lumps along the lower eyelid but certainly is a very technician-dependent technique.  We have performed fat transfers for approximately eight years and I am a strong advocate for volume replacement with patients’ own fat.  There are a couple of approaches that can be used if there is some unevenness or bumpiness.  First would be a very conservative measure resulting in a small amount of steroid injected into the area depending on the location.  If they are not visible but only palpated, we would typically take the most conservative approach.  If they are visible one can either add some additional volume by way of fat transfer or possibly even excising these under more extreme conditions.  Having said that, I do think it is an excellent technique on the lower eyelids but definitely is technician-dependent and varies from one doctor to another.

About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams

Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.

Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.