Facial aging is not only about wrinkles. The face also loses fullness as the years pass. The temples may look hollow, the cheeks may flatten, and deeper folds can form around the mouth. Weight loss, genetics, injury, and past surgery can also change facial volume.
Facial fat grafting in Vancouver, BC restores selected areas with fat taken from your own body. It is also called facial fat transfer, autologous fat transfer, fat injection, or lipofilling. The goal is not to make the face look puffy. It is to rebuild soft, natural contours that suit your bone structure.
People considering facial fat transfer in Vancouver often have the same concerns. Will it look natural? How much fat will survive? Will the face be even? How long will swelling last? A careful plan addresses these questions before surgery. The amount and placement of fat must be tailored to your facial shape, skin quality, age, and goals.
What Is Facial Fat Grafting?
Facial fat grafting is a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure that moves living fat cells from one area of your body to your face. The fat usually comes from the abdomen, waist, hips, or thighs. Gentle liposuction removes it through a small opening.
The harvested fat is cleaned and prepared. It is then placed into the face in tiny amounts. These small deposits have a better chance of forming a new blood supply. Fat that develops a blood supply may remain for many years.
Facial fat transfer can add volume to:
- Hollow temples
- Flat or sunken cheeks
- The lower eyelid and cheek junction
- Deep smile lines, also called nasolabial folds
- Lines running from the mouth toward the chin, called marionette lines
- Thin or poorly defined lips
- The chin and jawline
- Indented acne scars
- Depressed scars caused by injury or surgery
- Areas of facial asymmetry
Fat grafting does not lift loose tissue in the same way as a facelift. It also cannot remove heavy eyelid skin or tighten a loose neck. It works best when volume loss is an important part of the concern.
Fat transfer is different from dermal filler. Hyaluronic acid fillers are manufactured injectable products. They can often be placed during a short office appointment, and some can be dissolved if needed. Facial fat transfer requires liposuction, fat preparation, and a recovery period. Grafted fat cannot be dissolved in the same simple way.
Fat transfer may offer:
- A soft look and feel because it uses your own tissue
- A low risk of an allergic reaction to the graft itself
- Treatment of several facial areas during one procedure
- Results that may last much longer than temporary filler
- Mild contouring at the donor site
However, the amount of fat that survives is not fully predictable. Some patients need a second session to reach their preferred result.
Am I a Good Candidate For Facial Fat Grafting (Fat Transfer) in Vancouver?
You may be a good candidate if you want to restore facial volume without relying only on temporary fillers. The decision should be based on your anatomy, health, and expectations, not your age alone.
Good candidates often have:
- Hollow cheeks or temples
- Volume loss after aging or weight loss
- A visible groove between the lower eyelid and cheek
- Deep facial folds caused partly by volume loss
- A facial contour depression or mild asymmetry
- Enough body fat for harvesting
- Stable health and a stable body weight
- Realistic expectations about swelling and fat survival
- The ability to stop smoking and nicotine use as directed
- Time for recovery and follow-up visits
Fat grafting can be considered after major weight loss, including weight loss linked to GLP-1 medications. It is usually best to wait until your weight has become stable. Large weight changes after surgery may alter the volume of the transferred fat.
This procedure may not be right for everyone. Surgery may need to be delayed or avoided if you:
- Have an active infection
- Have an uncontrolled medical condition
- Have a bleeding disorder or serious circulation problem
- Cannot safely pause a medication that raises bleeding risk
- Use nicotine and cannot stop for the required period
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have very little donor fat
- Expect every transferred fat cell to survive
- Want a major lift when loose skin is the main concern
Being very lean does not always rule out fat transfer. Small amounts may still be collected from the inner thighs, abdomen, flanks, or another suitable area. A physical examination is needed to confirm whether there is enough donor fat.
Patients should also be emotionally ready for the early healing stage. The face may look overfilled or uneven while swelling changes. This appearance is temporary in most cases. Final balance cannot be judged during the first few days.
Fat Grafting Procedure: What to Expect
Facial fat grafting is usually an outpatient procedure. You return home after a period of monitoring. The exact plan depends on the number of facial areas, the donor site, and whether fat transfer is combined with another surgery.
The process commonly includes these steps:
- Facial assessment and planning Your facial proportions are examined while you are sitting upright. The treatment areas and donor site are marked. Medical photographs may be taken for planning and follow-up.
- Anaesthesia A smaller procedure may be performed with local anaesthesia and sedation. General anaesthesia may be recommended when several areas are treated or fat transfer is combined with a facelift, eyelid surgery, or another operation.
- Fat harvesting A small opening is made near the donor site. A narrow tube, called a cannula, removes fat using gentle suction. Only a limited amount is normally needed for the face.
- Fat preparation Blood, excess fluid, oil, and damaged cells are separated from healthy fat. Processing may involve washing, filtering, or controlled spinning in a centrifuge.
- Precise placement The prepared fat is injected through small entry points. Tiny threads or droplets are placed at different depths. Layered placement helps shape the area and gives the graft access to nearby tissue and blood vessels.
- Recovery monitoring The small openings may be closed with a stitch, adhesive, or dressing. You are monitored before going home. A compression garment may be placed over the donor area.
The procedure may take one to several hours. A combined operation will take longer. You will need a responsible adult to drive you home if sedation or general anaesthesia is used. Someone should usually stay with you during the first night.
Before surgery, you may be asked to:
- Complete medical tests when needed
- Stop smoking, vaping, and other nicotine use
- Review all prescriptions, vitamins, and supplements
- Avoid aspirin, certain anti-inflammatory drugs, and selected supplements when medically safe
- Arrange transportation and help at home
- Fill prescriptions in advance
- Prepare soft foods and cold packs
- Follow fasting instructions if sedation or general anaesthesia will be used
Do not stop prescription medication on your own. Medication changes should be approved by the prescribing professional and the surgical team.
Recovery & Timeline
Facial fat transfer creates two healing areas. The face must recover from the injections, while the donor area must recover from liposuction. Bruising and soreness may be present in both places.
The first 72 hours
Swelling often increases during the first two or three days. The face may look fuller than planned. Mild tightness, bruising, tenderness, and temporary numbness are common. The donor area may feel sore, much like a deep bruise.
Keep your head raised while resting. Take short walks as directed. Walking supports circulation and lowers the risk of blood clots. Use cold packs only if they are recommended, and do not press firmly on the grafted areas.
Days 4 to 7
Swelling should start to settle, although bruising may become more visible before it fades. Prescription or non-prescription pain relief is often enough for discomfort. Follow the exact medication plan you receive.
Weeks 1 to 2
Many patients feel ready for desk work within one to two weeks. Your return will depend on the amount of swelling, the type of work, and whether another procedure was performed. Makeup may be allowed once entry points have healed.
Some fullness and asymmetry can still be present. This is too early to judge the final outcome.
Weeks 3 to 6
Most visible bruising is usually gone. Residual swelling may remain around the cheeks or under the eyes. Exercise is added in stages after clearance. The donor-site compression garment may still be needed for part of this period.
Months 3 to 6
By this stage, much of the early swelling has resolved and the surviving fat is more stable. This is a more useful time to assess facial balance. Subtle changes may continue beyond this point.
Recovery instructions may include:
- Sleep on your back with your head raised
- Avoid pressure on the treated areas
- Do not massage the face unless told to do so
- Wear the donor-site compression garment as directed
- Avoid strenuous exercise until cleared
- Protect healing skin from strong sun
- Avoid smoking and nicotine
- Attend every planned follow-up visit
- Contact the surgical team before taking unapproved medication
Vancouver’s wet winter weather does not prevent recovery, but slippery sidewalks can be a concern after anaesthesia or pain medication. Arrange help with errands and outdoor tasks. In summer, use shade, a hat, and approved sun protection to limit darkening of bruised or healing skin.
Seek urgent medical help for sudden vision changes, severe eye pain, chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side, or difficulty speaking. Contact the surgical team promptly for worsening redness, heat, drainage, fever, uncontrolled bleeding, severe nausea, or pain that is becoming stronger instead of improving.
Fat Transfer Results
You will notice added fullness right after surgery, but this is not the final result. Early volume includes transferred fat, local fluid, and swelling.
Some transferred cells will not form a lasting blood supply. Your body will absorb those cells during the following weeks and months. The amount retained varies between patients and facial areas. Surgical technique, tissue quality, blood flow, smoking, pressure on the graft, and aftercare can all affect survival.
Fat that survives becomes part of the treated area. This can provide a long-lasting facial fat transfer result. It does not stop normal aging. The face will continue to change with sun exposure, skin aging, gravity, health, and weight changes.
Important points about results include:
- No ethical provider can promise an exact survival percentage.
- Small differences between the two sides of the face are normal before and after surgery.
- Under-correction is often safer than placing too much fat at once.
- A second grafting session may be recommended after healing is complete.
- Significant weight gain may enlarge surviving fat cells.
- Significant weight loss may reduce facial fullness.
- Healthy skin care and a stable weight help protect the result.
Fat grafting may improve deep volume loss, but it is not designed to erase every fine line or pore. Skin resurfacing may be more useful for surface damage, rough texture, or fine wrinkles.
Before-and-after photographs should be taken under similar lighting, distance, and facial position. Consistent photography makes it easier to assess real change.
Risks & Complications
All surgery has risk. Most patients experience temporary swelling, bruising, tenderness, and numbness. Complications are less common, but they must be understood before consent.
Possible risks include:
- Bleeding or a collection of blood, called a hematoma
- Fluid collection, called a seroma
- Infection
- Delayed healing
- Visible or firm scar tissue
- Prolonged swelling
- Changes in skin colour
- Temporary or lasting numbness
- Persistent pain
- Under-correction or over-correction
- Facial asymmetry
- Lumps, firmness, or contour irregularities
- Oil cysts or calcium deposits
- Loss of transferred fat
- Death of a small area of fat, called fat necrosis
- Poor contour at the liposuction donor site
- Need for revision surgery
- Anaesthesia complications
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
A rare but serious risk occurs if fat enters a blood vessel. This can block blood flow. Depending on the vessel involved, it may cause skin loss, a fat embolism, stroke, permanent vision damage, or blindness. The area around the eyes requires special knowledge of facial blood vessels and careful injection technique.
Fat transfer under thin lower-eyelid skin can also produce visible lumps or long-lasting puffiness. Correction may be difficult because transferred fat cannot be quickly dissolved like hyaluronic acid filler. This is one reason to choose a surgeon with specific experience in under-eye fat grafting.
Risk can be reduced, but not removed, through proper patient selection, sterile technique, detailed knowledge of facial anatomy, conservative placement, and close follow-up.
Facial Fat Grafting Cost in Vancouver, BC
As a planning guide, published Vancouver-area pricing for standalone facial fat grafting is often around $6,000 to $8,000 or more in Canadian dollars. Prices change, and this range is not a personal quote.
The final cost may depend on:
- The number of facial areas treated
- The amount and location of donor fat
- The type of anaesthesia
- Operating-room and facility fees
- The length and complexity of surgery
- Whether another procedure is performed
- Required garments, medication, and follow-up care
- Applicable GST
Ask for a written quote that explains what is included. A complete estimate may contain the surgeon’s fee, anaesthesia fee, accredited facility fee, nursing care, standard follow-up appointments, and supplies. Find out whether prescriptions, blood tests, compression garments, revisions, and GST are separate.
Facial fat transfer performed only to improve appearance is generally considered elective cosmetic surgery. British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan does not normally cover surgery that is not medically required. Private health plans also rarely cover elective cosmetic treatment.
Coverage may be different when fat grafting is needed for a documented reconstructive reason, such as an injury, congenital difference, or disfiguring condition. Eligibility depends on the medical facts and the rules of the insurer or provincial plan.
Purely cosmetic procedures are also generally not eligible for Canada’s medical expense tax credit. Ask a qualified tax professional if your procedure has a medical or reconstructive purpose.
Choosing a Fat Grafting Surgeon in Vancouver, British Columbia
Facial fat grafting requires more than the ability to remove and inject fat. The surgeon must understand facial aging, bone structure, fat compartments, blood vessels, and how transferred fat behaves over time.
In British Columbia, confirm that the physician has an active licence with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, also known as the CPSBC. The public registrant directory shows licence status, qualifications, specialty information, practice conditions, and regulatory actions when applicable.
Look for certification in plastic surgery through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The credential FRCSC means Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, but the listed specialty should still be checked. A medical degree alone does not confirm specialty training in plastic surgery.
If surgery involves intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia in a private surgical setting, ask whether the site is accredited through the CPSBC’s Non-Hospital Medical and Surgical Facilities Accreditation Program. Also confirm that the surgeon has privileges to perform the planned procedure there.
Experience should match the area you want treated. Fat placement in the temple is different from placement under the eye, in the lips, or along the jaw. Ask how often the surgeon performs facial fat grafting and how complications are managed.
Review before-and-after photographs for patients with concerns similar to yours. Look for several results, not one dramatic example. Photos should show consistent lighting and angles. Results should appear balanced from the front, side, and three-quarter views.
Consultation
A facial fat grafting consultation should include a health review and a careful facial assessment. Expect to discuss:
- Your main concerns and preferred level of change
- Past cosmetic treatments, fillers, threads, lasers, and surgery
- Current and past medical conditions
- Prescription drugs, vitamins, and supplements
- Allergies and past reactions to anaesthesia
- Smoking, vaping, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use
- Changes in weight, including recent major weight loss
- Available donor areas
- Skin quality, facial volume, bone structure, and symmetry
- Whether fat grafting or another option better fits your concern
- The amount of downtime you can manage
- Risks, alternatives, and the possibility of another session
Tell the surgeon about all previous facial filler, even if it was placed years ago. Existing filler can affect facial shape and treatment planning. If the product or location is unclear, more assessment may be needed.
A good consultation should set limits as well as goals. You should understand what fat transfer can improve, what it cannot correct, and why a certain amount of fat is being recommended.
Questions to Ask
Consider bringing these questions to your consultation:
- Are you licensed by the CPSBC, and what is your recognized specialty?
- Are you certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada?
- How often do you perform facial fat grafting?
- How much experience do you have with the exact areas I want treated?
- Where will the fat come from?
- How do you prepare and place the fat?
- What type of anaesthesia will I receive?
- Is the surgical facility accredited for that level of anaesthesia?
- Who will provide the anaesthesia?
- What result is realistic for my face?
- How much swelling and bruising should I expect?
- When can I return to work, exercise, and social events?
- What complications have you seen, and how are they treated?
- What should I do if I develop a problem after regular hours?
- How often is a second fat transfer needed in your patients?
- What is included in the written price?
- What is the policy and cost if revision surgery is recommended?
- Can I review before-and-after photos of similar patients?
You should not feel rushed to book surgery. Take time to review the plan, consent information, recovery needs, and total cost.
What Other Procedures Can Be Combined With Facial Fat Grafting (Fat Transfer)?
Facial aging often involves more than volume loss. Skin may loosen, eyelid tissue may sag, and sun damage may affect the surface. Combining treatments can address several layers, but more procedures also mean more swelling, cost, and recovery.
Common combinations include:
A facelift repositions loose facial tissue. A neck lift improves loose neck skin and deeper neck structures. Fat grafting can restore fullness that lifting alone does not replace, especially in the temples, cheeks, and around the mouth.
Eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, can remove or reposition tissue around the eyes. Fat grafting may soften the border between the lower eyelid and cheek. Not every under-eye hollow needs added fat, so the anatomy must be assessed carefully.
A brow lift raises a low or heavy brow. Fat transfer can restore temple or upper-cheek volume when these areas also look hollow.
Laser resurfacing or chemical peel
Resurfacing treats sun damage, fine lines, uneven colour, and rough texture. Fat transfer restores deeper volume. The timing and depth of resurfacing must be planned to protect healing skin.
Chin or jawline enhancement
Fat can create a modest change in chin or jawline contour. A chin implant or facial bone surgery may be more suitable when stronger structural projection is needed.
A lip lift shortens the space between the nose and upper lip. Fat may add soft volume to the lips, but swelling and fat survival can be less predictable than with temporary filler.
Scar treatment
Indented acne or injury scars may be released beneath the skin before fat is placed. Laser treatment, microneedling, or another resurfacing method may also be considered.
The safest combination depends on your health, procedure length, recovery support, and treatment priorities. More surgery is not always better. A staged plan may be safer or more predictable.
Service Areas
Facial fat grafting consultations are available for patients from Vancouver and throughout Metro Vancouver, including:
- Downtown Vancouver, the West End, Yaletown, Kitsilano, Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy, Mount Pleasant, and East Vancouver
- Burnaby and New Westminster
- Richmond
- North Vancouver and West Vancouver
- Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody
- Surrey, Delta, and White Rock
- Langley and Maple Ridge
- The Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky region, Vancouver Island, and other parts of British Columbia
Patients travelling from outside Vancouver should plan for safe transportation and local follow-up. You cannot drive yourself home after sedation or general anaesthesia. Public transit should not be used alone immediately after surgery.
Those arriving by ferry or air may need to stay nearby during the early recovery period. The recommended length of stay depends on the procedure, type of anaesthesia, and timing of the first follow-up visit.
A private consultation is the best way to learn whether facial fat grafting can address your volume loss, facial asymmetry, or contour concerns. You will receive a plan based on your anatomy, health, preferred result, and recovery needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is facial fat grafting?
Facial fat grafting, also called facial fat transfer or autologous fat transfer, moves fat from one part of your body to your face. Fat is usually collected from the abdomen, waist, hips, or thighs with gentle liposuction. It is then cleaned and placed in selected facial areas. The goal is to restore lost volume, improve facial balance, and soften hollow areas using your own living tissue.
2. How is facial fat transfer different from dermal filler?
Fat transfer uses your own body fat, while dermal fillers are manufactured injectable products. Fillers involve less downtime and can offer a more predictable short-term change. Some hyaluronic acid fillers can also be dissolved. Fat grafting requires liposuction and has a longer recovery, but surviving fat may last for years. Fat cannot be dissolved as easily, and its survival rate varies. The better choice depends on your anatomy, goals, and comfort with surgery.
3. Who is a good candidate for facial fat grafting in Vancouver?
Good candidates often have hollow temples, flat cheeks, deep facial folds, or volume loss caused by aging or weight loss. You should be in stable health, have enough donor fat, and understand that some transferred fat will be absorbed. There is no single ideal age for treatment. Your facial anatomy and goals matter more. Smoking, uncontrolled illness, unstable weight, or unrealistic expectations may make surgery unsafe or less suitable.
4. Can I have facial fat transfer if I am very thin?
Possibly. Facial treatment usually requires much less fat than breast or buttock fat transfer. Even a lean person may have enough donor fat around the lower abdomen, waist, inner thighs, or hips. However, there must be enough tissue to collect safely without creating a donor-site hollow. If you have very little body fat, dermal filler or another volume treatment may offer a more practical and predictable option. A physical examination is needed to confirm this.
5. Which areas of the face can be treated with fat?
Fat can restore volume in the temples, cheeks, lower eyelid and cheek junction, smile lines, lips, chin, and jawline. It may also improve selected acne scars, injury scars, and facial contour depressions. Each area has different tissue thickness and blood vessels, so placement must be tailored carefully. Fat transfer cannot remove loose skin or provide the same lift as surgery. When sagging is the main concern, another procedure may be more effective.
6. What happens during a facial fat grafting procedure?
First, a donor area and the planned facial treatment zones are marked. Fat is collected through a small opening with a narrow liposuction tube called a cannula. The harvested tissue is cleaned using washing, filtering, or controlled spinning. Healthy fat is then placed into the face in tiny, layered deposits. This method helps shape the area and gives the graft access to nearby blood vessels. Most patients return home after a short period of monitoring.
7. Is facial fat transfer painful, and what anaesthesia is used?
The treated areas are numbed, so you should not feel sharp pain during the procedure. Smaller treatments may use local anaesthesia with sedation. General anaesthesia may be recommended for full-face grafting or when fat transfer is combined with another operation. After surgery, the donor site often feels like a deep bruise. The face may feel tight or tender. Discomfort is usually managed with prescribed or approved non-prescription pain medication.
8. How much downtime should I expect after facial fat grafting?
Most patients should plan for one to two weeks of social downtime. Swelling often increases during the first two or three days before it begins to settle. Bruising, puffiness, and mild asymmetry are common during early healing. Some people return to desk work after one week, while others prefer two weeks. The amount of fat transferred, the donor site, your type of work, and any combined surgery will affect your personal recovery time.
9. When will I see the final facial fat transfer result?
You will see more fullness right away, but early volume includes swelling and fat that may not survive. The face can look overfilled during the first several days. Bruising often improves within two weeks, while subtle swelling may remain for several weeks. Your body continues to absorb non-surviving fat over the following months. A more reliable result is usually assessed around three to six months, although small changes may continue after that point.
10. How much of the transferred fat will survive?
No exact percentage can be promised. Fat survival depends on blood supply, placement technique, facial area, tissue quality, smoking, pressure on the graft, and aftercare. The body naturally absorbs some of the transferred cells. Fat that develops a healthy blood supply may remain long term. A conservative approach helps reduce overfilling, but it may mean that a second fat grafting session is needed. Final volume should not be judged during the early swelling period.
11. How long do facial fat grafting results last?
The fat that survives can provide long-lasting facial volume because it becomes living tissue in the treated area. Results are not frozen in time. Your face will continue to age, and the grafted fat can respond to weight changes. Significant weight gain may enlarge the fat cells, while major weight loss may reduce fullness. Maintaining a stable weight, avoiding nicotine, protecting your skin from the sun, and following aftercare instructions can help preserve your result.
12. Will facial fat transfer make me look puffy or unnatural?
The goal is to restore natural facial contours, not create a swollen or exaggerated look. Early puffiness is expected and can make the face seem overfilled at first. This appearance normally improves as swelling settles and some fat is absorbed. Natural results depend on careful facial analysis, conservative volume, and precise placement. Treating every hollow is not always appropriate. The best plan respects your bone structure, facial movement, existing asymmetry, and preferred level of change.
13. Can facial fat be removed if I do not like the result?
Correction is possible in some cases, but it may be difficult. Unlike hyaluronic acid filler, transferred fat cannot be quickly dissolved with an injection. Small lumps or excess volume may require observation, careful liposuction, surgical removal, or treatment of nearby areas to improve balance. Thin areas such as the lower eyelids can be especially challenging. This is why conservative placement and an experienced facial fat grafting surgeon are important. Revision should usually wait until healing is complete.
14. Is fat transfer safe for hollow areas under the eyes?
Under-eye fat transfer can soften the groove between the lower eyelid and cheek, but this area requires special care. The skin is thin, and poor placement can cause visible lumps, prolonged puffiness, or uneven contours. A rare blood vessel blockage may cause permanent vision damage. Not every under-eye hollow needs added fat. Bags, loose skin, or bulging eyelid fat may require lower eyelid surgery, called blepharoplasty, fat repositioning, or another treatment instead.
15. What are the risks of facial fat grafting?
Possible risks include bleeding, infection, fluid collection, prolonged swelling, numbness, asymmetry, lumps, oil cysts, fat loss, firm scar tissue, and contour changes at the donor site. Rare complications include fat entering a blood vessel, skin injury, fat embolism, stroke, or permanent vision damage. Seek urgent help for sudden vision changes, severe eye pain, chest pain, breathing trouble, weakness, or difficulty speaking. Worsening redness, fever, drainage, or severe pain also requires prompt medical advice.
16. How should I prepare for facial fat transfer?
You will need to review your medical history, prescriptions, vitamins, supplements, allergies, and past anaesthesia reactions. You may be told to stop nicotine because it reduces blood flow and can impair healing. Aspirin, some anti-inflammatory drugs, blood thinners, and certain supplements may increase bleeding, but never stop prescribed medication without approval. Arrange a responsible adult to drive you home and stay overnight if needed. Follow all fasting, medication, and preoperative instructions provided for your procedure.
17. Will facial fat grafting leave scars or change the donor area?
Fat is collected through very small openings, so scars are usually short and placed in less visible areas when possible. Tiny entry points may also be used on the face. Scars can still become raised, dark, pale, or more noticeable than expected. The donor site may look slightly slimmer, but facial grafting does not remove enough fat to replace full liposuction contouring. Temporary bruising, firmness, swelling, numbness, or an uneven donor-site contour can occur during healing.
18. How much does facial fat grafting cost in Vancouver, BC?
Published Vancouver-area pricing commonly places standalone facial fat grafting around $6,000 to $8,000 or more in Canadian dollars, but every plan is different. Cost depends on the facial areas treated, donor site, anaesthesia, facility fees, and whether another procedure is added. Ask whether the quote includes follow-up care, garments, medication, and GST. Elective cosmetic fat transfer is generally not covered by British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan, although medically necessary reconstructive cases may be assessed differently.
19. Can facial fat transfer be combined with other cosmetic procedures?
Yes. Fat grafting is often combined with a facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery, brow lift, lip lift, or skin resurfacing. A facelift repositions loose tissue, while fat replaces missing volume. Eyelid surgery can address loose skin or bulging fat that grafting alone cannot correct. Laser resurfacing or a chemical peel may improve fine lines and sun damage. Combining procedures can create a more complete result, but it also increases surgery time, swelling, cost, and recovery needs.
20. How do I choose a facial fat grafting surgeon in Vancouver?
Confirm an active licence through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Look for recognized specialist training in plastic surgery and Royal College certification. Ask how often the surgeon performs facial fat transfer, including treatment of your specific areas. Review consistent before-and-after photographs and discuss complication management. If intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia is planned in a private setting, confirm that the facility has the required CPSBC non-hospital surgical facility accreditation and that the surgeon has appropriate privileges there.
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Service Areas
Facial fat grafting consultations are available for patients from Vancouver and throughout Metro Vancouver, including:
- Downtown Vancouver, the West End, Yaletown, Kitsilano, Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy, Mount Pleasant, and East Vancouver
- Burnaby and New Westminster
- Richmond
- North Vancouver and West Vancouver
- Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody
- Surrey, Delta, and White Rock
- Langley and Maple Ridge
- The Fraser Valley, Sea-to-Sky region, Vancouver Island, and other parts of British Columbia
Patients travelling from outside Vancouver should plan for safe transportation and local follow-up. You cannot drive yourself home after sedation or general anaesthesia. Public transit should not be used alone immediately after surgery.
Those arriving by ferry or air may need to stay nearby during the early recovery period. The recommended length of stay depends on the procedure, type of anaesthesia, and timing of the first follow-up visit.
A private consultation is the best way to learn whether facial fat grafting can address your volume loss, facial asymmetry, or contour concerns. You will receive a plan based on your anatomy, health, preferred result, and recovery needs.
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