Facial Fat Transfer for Natural Volume Restoration
Dr. Balikian performs facial fat transfer procedures using your own body fat to restore facial volume and achieve natural-looking, youthful results.
Natural Facial Rejuvenation with Fat Transfer
As we age, the face naturally loses volume, leading to hollowed cheeks, deep creases, and an overall tired appearance. To address these concerns and restore youthful fullness, Dr. Richard Balikian offers facial fat transfer
What is a Facial Fat Transfer Procedure?
Facial fat transfer is a cosmetic surgery that is often performed to complement a facelift. Facelifts can deliver remarkable results in terms of lifting facial tissues. However, in cases where the natural aging process has caused patients to lose significant volume, facial fat transfer may be needed to attain the desired contours.
In the facial fat transfer procedure, Dr. Balikian uses liposuction to extract healthy fat from a specific area of the body, often the abdomen or inner thighs. The fat is processed for purification and then injected into the face to restore fullness and smooth deep creases. Facial fat transfer can be used to:
- Enhance the cheekbone area.
- Fill hollows under the eyes.
- Eliminate nasolabial folds and marionette lines.
- Add volume to the lips.
This personalized approach not only enhances facial harmony but also provides a natural, youthful appearance using your own tissue. When performed by an expert like Dr. Balikian, facial fat transfer offers a range of benefits that go beyond volume restoration
The Benefits of Facial Fat Transfer
Fat transfer, or fat grafting, has been used for decades by plastic surgeons to increase volume in the face and many other areas of the body. It is a proven method of cosmetic enhancement.
Facial fat transfer has key advantages over other treatments that address lost volume in the face. One benefit of this technique is the utilization of your own fat as opposed to the use of synthetic fillers. As the fat is native to your body, it can establish itself into the treatment area, facilitating a long-lasting effect.
Additionally, many patients prefer a one-time treatment to resolve deep creases and wrinkles on the face. Non-surgical injectable treatments are frequently used to smooth furrows and augment facial features, but the disadvantage is that results are temporary. Ongoing treatments are needed to maintain your desired facial aesthetic. In contrast, you can enjoy your facial fat transfer results for many years.
Facial Fat Transfer Before and After Gallery
Candidates for Facial Fat Transfer
Facial fat transfer is ideal for individuals looking to restore volume loss caused by aging, genetics, or weight fluctuations. During your consultation, Dr. Balikian will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine if this procedure is right for you. He will assess your facial anatomy, skin quality, and the areas where volume has been lost, as well as review your medical history and any previous cosmetic procedures.
Ideal candidates typically have areas of the body, such as the abdomen, thighs, or flanks, with sufficient fat that can be harvested through gentle liposuction. You should be in overall good health, a non-smoker (or willing to stop), and committed to following pre- and post-operative care instructions. Most importantly, having realistic expectations about the procedure and its results is key to ensuring your satisfaction with your facial rejuvenation journey.
Complementary Procedures for Comprehensive Rejuvenation
Facial fat transfer is an excellent way to restore youthful volume, but it can be even more impactful when combined with other procedures that address skin laxity, muscle tone, and surface texture. During your consultation, Dr. Balikian may recommend one or more of the following treatments to achieve the most balanced and natural-looking result.
- Facelift – A facelift repositions deep facial tissues to address sagging in the cheeks, jawline, and neck, enhancing the overall structure that supports volume restored through fat transfer.
- Artiste Lift™ – Dr. Balikian’s signature Artiste Lift™ is a preservation deep plane facelift designed to harmonize lifting, volume restoration, and skin refinement in one comprehensive procedure.
- Blepharoplasty – Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, can be performed alongside fat transfer to remove excess eyelid skin and reduce under-eye hollowing, creating a more rested and alert appearance.
- Brow Lift – A brow lift elevates drooping brows and softens forehead lines, complementing the midface fullness achieved with fat transfer for upper facial balance.
- CO₂ Laser Resurfacing – CO₂ laser resurfacing enhances skin quality by improving tone, texture, and fine lines—creating a smoother surface that showcases the soft contours restored by fat grafting.
Each of these procedures can be tailored to your facial anatomy and aesthetic goals, working together to deliver a result that is refreshed, natural, and uniquely yours.
Facial Fat Transfer Cost
The cost of facial fat transfer varies based on several factors, including your personalized treatment plan, surgical technique, anesthesia, and facility fees.
Dr. Balikian will provide a detailed quote after evaluating your goals and reviewing your medical history during your consultation.
Facial Fat Transfer FAQs
What is facial fat transfer?
Facial fat transfer uses your own fat to restore soft, youthful contours in areas that have thinned with age such as the cheeks, under-eyes, temples, and around the mouth. Fat is gently harvested, purified, and placed in micro-droplets to create smooth, natural transitions.
How does Dr. Balikian’s philosophy keep results looking natural?
Dr. Balikian’s philosophy is restoration, not reinvention. He lifts and supports what gravity lowered, then replaces volume that time took away. Fat is placed like a sculptor’s brush in tiny layers so it integrates with your tissue and supports natural light and shadow. The goal is that you look like yourself, just rested.
How long do results last?
Once a graft establishes a blood supply, it can live for many years and age with you. Reviews note that fat retention varies by technique, recipient site, and patient factors, and it stabilizes over months.
How much of the fat survives?
Fat survival varies. Planning accounts for some resorption, with results assessed after healing when grafts have stabilized.
Is fat transfer often combined with a facelift?
Yes. A deep plane facelift repositions descended tissues, while fat transfer restores soft volume and support. Many patients choose this combination for structure with softness and a believable finish.
Does a deep plane facelift reduce the need for fat grafting?
Deep plane techniques can improve midface fullness by repositioning native fat pads. Targeted micro-fat is still helpful for select areas such as under-eyes, temples, or perioral shadows. Treatment is individualized.
What are common donor sites and how is fat processed?
For slender patients the inner thighs are often used, while the abdomen works well for many others. Harvested fat is refined to remove oil and fluid, then placed with smooth micro-cannulas in tiny droplets so parcels can revascularize.
What is recovery like?
Expect swelling and possible bruising that settle over 1 to 3 weeks, with continued refinement for several months as grafted fat matures. When combined with a facelift, most patients feel socially presentable by about two weeks, then keep refining across the following weeks.
Are there risks or side effects?
All procedures carry risks. Reported issues with facial fat grafting include prolonged swelling, contour irregularities, oil cysts, fat necrosis and, rarely, vascular events. Technique, micro-droplet placement, and anatomic awareness help reduce risks.
Can PRP or PRF improve fat survival?
Evidence is mixed. Some studies suggest adjuncts such as PRP or PRF can improve early recovery or graft take, while others show limited effect on long-term volume. Dr. Balikian reviews whether biologic adjuncts are appropriate for your goals.
How does Dr. Balikian avoid a puffy or overfilled look?
He places fat in small, layered droplets in precise planes and avoids over-injection. The aim is structure without bulk, so expressions remain natural. If refinement is needed, it is done conservatively after full healing.
Which concerns does fat transfer treat best?
Fat transfer excels for hollow temples, tear trough softening in appropriate candidates, sub-malar hollowing, and perioral shadows including the marionette area and pre-jowl sulcus. It is often paired with lower eyelid surgery that redistributes lower-lid fat for a smooth lid-cheek transition.
Is facial fat transfer safer than fillers?
Each has a role. Fillers are temporary and often reversible. Fat transfer is autologous and long-lasting once integrated, but it is still a surgical procedure with its own risks. Serious vascular events are rare in both modalities and are technique dependent.
Can fat transfer help under-eye hollows?
Often yes. Lower eyelid rejuvenation may start by redraping native fat internally for a smooth transition. If a deficit remains, carefully layered micro-fat can lift the trough without bulging. Planning is individualized.
What makes Dr. Balikian’s technique different?
He combines deep structural rejuvenation with meticulous fat placement. In facelift cases, he releases deeper tethering rather than pulling skin so scars can heal fine and the result stays natural. Fat is then placed precisely to restore harmony rather than create volume for its own sake.
How does Dr. Balikian minimize downtime?
Technique, gentle handling of tissue, and staged care help. Recovery protocols that support lymphatic flow and skin healing can aid early recovery.
Trust Your Face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Richard Balikian is a highly respected facial plastic surgeon serving the San Diego area.
With over 20 years of experience and double board certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Balikian offers a unique combination of technical expertise and artistic vision.
He is part of an elite group of surgeons with extensive training focused exclusively on the face and neck.
Your Journey Starts Here
Elevated Care. Exceptional Results.
Dr. Richard Balikian is recognized for elevating facial plastic surgery through precision, artistry and outcomes that reflect your true self.
Discover the Art of Facial Plastic Surgery
Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
Balikian Facial Plastic Surgery: Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS