Have a bulge you aren't thrilled with? Fat grafting helps you improve contours in the places that need it most. It’s all about rethinking the role of fat in achieving a sleek, sexy physique.
Cost Range
$6,000–$11,000 Recovery
Back to work in 5 days
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre & Medical Spa 9850 Genesee Ave Suite 130
La Jolla, CA 92037 Call: (858) 452-1981Text: (858) 203-2944 Monday–Friday: 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
La Jolla Cosmetic Medical Spa - Carlsbad 7730 El Camino Real Suite C
Carlsbad, CA 92009 Call: (858) 788-7989Text: (858) 203-2944 Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Fat Transfer in San Diego
Have you ever looked at your body and wished your proportions were different? Does one part of your body have “too much” while another has “not enough?” Do you find yourself thinking, “If only I could take fat from here and move it there?”
Here’s the great news: You can—with fat grafting, or a fat transfer, here in San Diego. All you need to make your dream body real is a little help from the board-certified plastic surgeons at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre & Medical Spa. With this relatively innovative, advanced procedure, your own fat is removed from one area where you don’t want it, purified, and then replaced in another area where you want to add curves or fullness.
Fat Transfer Body Before & After Photos
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Considering Fat Transfer in San Diego? Here’s How It Works
Basically, a fat transfer is exactly what it sounds like: Your plastic surgeon transfers fat from one area of your body to another. However, the actual procedure is highly customizable and requires considerable skill and experience to achieve great results. Here’s how the process works:
Harvesting: First, your surgeon removes fat from your pre-determined areas using liposuction. In addition to taking away unwanted fat, your plastic surgeon sculpts a smoother, natural shape to the area.
Processing: Next, the fat is placed in a special machine that purifies it, so the cells are more likely to survive in their new home.
Injecting: In the final step, your surgeon injects the fat in the area (or areas) you want to enhance.
You’ll likely notice the difference right away. Your results will continue to improve as the injected fat adapts to its new location and post-procedure swelling subsides. Within several months, you’ll be enjoying your new, natural contours that will last for years to come.
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First, Dr. Riedler is a very skilled surgeon, but she is also so thoughtful and caring in her approa…*
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I was extremely fortunate to have experienced Dr. Riedler as my doctor. She stayed with me the entir…*
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The profile is much improved! The work looks good so far, the healing was a bit slow in certain area…*
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Better Results With a Better Technique
Older fat transfer techniques had a “take” rate (permanency of transferred fat) of only around 30%. Our board-certified plastic surgeons recognized this problem and took the time to train in newer, more reliable techniques that allow for less tissue trauma during fat removal and safer, more efficient fat purification. Most of our fat transfer patients now enjoy an increased take rate of 60 to 80%, meaning better results that last even longer.
Design the New You
Not sure how to get the look you want? Tell us about your goals, and we’ll show you the possibilities.
Can you imagine slimming your belly or thighs while also getting a little more shape to your derriere? Could you use a slight boost in breast size without implants? Or, perhaps your face and hands could use some youthful volume, while your stubborn belly has plenty to share? A fat transfer can achieve any of these goals and more.
A qualified, experienced plastic surgeon will customize a fat transfer to both reduce your problem areas and add/or restore volume to features that you’d like to boost. The result? A dramatic improvement in your proportions and appearance in just a single procedure.
Facial fat grafting: Dermal fillers are fab, but the effects are temporary and costs can add up over time. With facial fat grafting, you use your own fat as a filler to restore volume to aging cheeks, smooth sagging lower eyelids, reduce deep creases, or enhance the lips.
Hand rejuvenation: Other than your face, your hands are the most consistently visible part of your body—and the aging process takes its toll there, too. Hand rejuvenation injections rejuvenate thin, bony hands and minimize visible veins and tendons to restore a smooth, soft and elegant appearance you’ll be proud to show off.
Brazilian butt lift: Gone are the days when buttock augmentation meant less-than-natural-looking implants. With a Brazilian butt lift, our plastic surgeons remove fat from areas surrounding the buttocks (belly, hips, thighs and lower back) and inject fat into the buttocks to enhance size and shape.
Breast enhancement: Fat grafting is an excellent option for achieving a modest increase in breast size, improving breast shape and symmetry without implants, or enhancing the results of breast augmentation with implants.
Body contouring: If you’d like a more hourglass silhouette, or you feel your body is out of proportion in some respect, a fat transfer procedure can achieve your goals beautifully and naturally by redistributing your fat. It’s the ultimate result: Your body will be leaner with better contours, and you’ll have a natural cosmetic solution for multiple “problem” areas.
A body fat transfer is an excellent, versatile procedure that can make dramatic improvements in multiple areas of your body without implants, artificial fillers, or large scars. But there’s one big consideration: You have to have enough fat to redistribute to achieve your goals.
How much fat is enough fat? This depends on your goals, the areas you’d like to volumize with fat, and how much fat is needed to achieve a natural, noticeable improvement.
In general, you’ll need more fat available for removal if you’re interested in the following:
Brazilian butt lift (buttock fat transfer)
Fat transfer breast augmentation
Body contouring with fat transfer
On the other hand, even most lean people have plenty of fat to get great results for facial fat grafting, hand rejuvenation, or small scar treatments.
Other factors that determine whether or not fat grafting is appropriate include:
The degree of enhancement you are hoping to achieve. Fat grafting is excellent for achieving modest enhancements, but if you’re hoping for dramatic size increases in certain areas, a fat transfer may not be the best option (For example, a breast augmentation of a cup size or more typically requires implants.)
Your medical history. Transferred fat needs a healthy blood supply to successfully take, so people with circulation problems or smokers are usually not good candidates.
Your desire for permanent results. Unlike fillers, which absorb over time, or implants, which can be removed or replaced, a fat transfer is considered permanent. Although fluctuations in weight and aging can affect your results over time, fat grafting is usually not reversible.
Your Safety Is Our #1 Priority
Since 1988, more than 36,000 patients have had safe, successful procedures at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre & Medical Spa.
Along with the obvious plus of keeping things natural, fat grafting offers several benefits over using implants or manufactured fillers to enhance features:
Results can last for many, many years without requiring a touch-up. Transferred fat is living tissue, and when it settles in its new location, it continues to function normally for its lifetime.
Fat transfer leaves minimal scars, with no visible scars at the site of injection. The only scars produced during most fat transfer procedures are those needed for liposuction, which are tiny and placed in inconspicuous locations, such as the natural folds of your body or where you’ll almost always wear clothing.
Results look, feel, and move naturally. Implants, and sometimes even fillers, can feel a little different than natural tissue under your skin. Using your own fat eliminates this potential issue.
How Much Does Fat Transfer Cost in San Diego?
The cost of fat transfer in San Diego is typically $6,000 to $11,000. Your cost may vary depending on how much fat is transferred, where it’s transferred to, the complexity of the procedure, and more. When you meet with one of our plastic surgeons for a private consultation, you’ll get a personalized estimate detailing all your expected fees.
LJC is happy to accept payments through several affordable financing plans. Learn more on our financing page.
Your Dream Starts Today
Dreaming of having all the right curves in all the right places? Let’s make your already gorgeous bod even better. To get started, request a consultation online or call
(858) 452-1981.
Last reviewed by a La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre & Medical Spa Editor on February 2nd, 2023. Meet Our Medical Editors