DermaClae: The Future of Facial Fat Grafting Without Liposuction or Surgery

Medically reviewed by John L. Burns Jr., MD, FACS · Board-certified plastic surgeon · Dallas, Texas · Updated October 2026

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Curious whether DermaClae or facial fat transfer suits you? Send photos through Dr. Burns' free online consultation for an expert opinion.

For decades, facial fat grafting has been one of the most effective ways to restore youthful facial volume, soften wrinkles, and reverse the hollowing that occurs with aging. Unlike traditional dermal fillers, fat grafting replaces lost volume using natural fatty tissue, creating soft, beautiful contours that complement the face.

Until recently, however, traditional fat grafting required surgery. Fat had to be harvested from another part of the body through liposuction, processed, and carefully transferred to the face. While highly effective, this process typically required an operating room, anesthesia, and recovery from both the donor and treatment sites.

Now, an exciting innovation called DermaClae is poised to change facial rejuvenation by offering fat-based volume restoration without liposuction or surgery.

Building on the remarkable popularity of alloClae, the innovative donor-derived fat product used for breast and body contouring, DermaClae brings this technology to facial aesthetics. (Dr. Burns covers alloClae for the body in his guide to hip dip correction with fat transfer and alloClae.)

For patients who want natural-looking facial fullness without surgery, DermaClae represents an exciting new frontier.

What is DermaClae?

DermaClae is a next-generation injectable adipose tissue product developed specifically for facial rejuvenation. It is derived from donated human fat tissue that undergoes specialized screening and processing to create a ready-to-use material for restoring soft-tissue volume.

DermaClae is the facial counterpart to alloClae, the increasingly popular structural adipose product used to enhance breasts, smooth hip dips, and correct body contour irregularities.

While alloClae is designed for larger-volume applications in the body, DermaClae features a finer, softer formulation designed for the delicate anatomy of the face.

Unlike conventional fat transfer, which involves harvesting living fat cells from the patient's own body, DermaClae uses processed donor adipose tissue containing nonviable cellular components and extracellular matrix. This matrix provides natural tissue structure and volume without requiring a surgical fat-harvesting procedure.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has highlighted DermaClae as an emerging innovation specifically designed for facial applications. In an ASPS article on fat-based fillers, a board-certified plastic surgeon describes it as “still a donor fat-based product, but a smaller particle size that is suited for facial transfer.”

Who makes DermaClae, and is it available yet?

DermaClae comes from Tiger Aesthetics, the same company behind alloClae, which announced both adipose cell and tissue products as part of its regenerative aesthetics portfolio. Because it is so new, availability is still rolling out and long-term data are limited; a consultation is the best way to learn whether it is right for you.

Fat grafting without liposuction: why this is such a breakthrough

The greatest advantage of DermaClae is simple: patients can potentially enjoy many of the aesthetic benefits of facial fat restoration without having to undergo liposuction.

Traditional facial fat transfer involves several steps: harvesting fat from the abdomen, thighs, or flanks; processing the harvested tissue; and meticulously injecting the purified fat into areas of facial volume loss. (Dr. Burns explains that process in detail in facial fat grafting in Dallas and facial fat grafting with micro and nano fat.)

DermaClae simplifies the process dramatically.

Because the adipose tissue is prepared in advance, the material can be placed directly into appropriate facial tissues during an office-based procedure.

There is no need for:

• Liposuction or harvesting fat from another part of the body
• A separate donor-site incision
• General anesthesia for an otherwise isolated facial volume treatment
• An operating room or surgical fat-processing equipment
• Recovery from a liposuction procedure

This opens the door to a completely different approach to facial rejuvenation—one focused on convenience, precision, and minimal downtime.

For patients who are naturally thin and have very little available fat for liposuction, DermaClae may be especially beneficial.

The 9 cc advantage: comprehensive facial rejuvenation in one treatment

One of the most exciting aspects of DermaClae is the potential to provide meaningful, comprehensive facial correction with a relatively small amount of product.

A planned 9 cc treatment volume can provide substantial flexibility for addressing multiple areas of facial volume loss during a single session.

In many patients, especially those with mild to moderate facial aging, this amount may be sufficient to accomplish a comprehensive facial rejuvenation without overfilling or creating an unnatural appearance.

Rather than simply treating one wrinkle or facial fold, Dr. Burns approaches facial rejuvenation by evaluating the entire face.

Restoring balance often means distributing volume strategically throughout several anatomical regions.

For example, DermaClae may be used for:

• Temples: Restoring the hollowing that develops along the sides of the forehead.
• Cheeks: Replenishing youthful fullness and improving facial contours.
• Midface: Restoring volume between the lower eyelids and cheeks.
• Nasolabial regions: Softening the appearance of deep facial folds through appropriate structural volume restoration.
• Lower face: Improving selected areas of volume loss around the mouth and jawline.
• Selected contour irregularities: Creating smoother transitions between different facial regions.

The goal is not to make the face look overly full. Rather, it is to restore the soft, youthful contours that naturally diminish with age.

A 9 cc treatment plan can be sufficient for many patients, although the ideal volume depends on individual anatomy and the degree of facial aging.

DermaClae vs. traditional facial fat grafting

Dr. John Burns has extensive experience with fat injection to the face and considers restoration of lost facial volume an essential component of comprehensive facial rejuvenation.

Traditional fat grafting remains an excellent option, particularly when combined with a facelift or another surgical procedure.

However, DermaClae may offer a more convenient alternative for patients who want facial volume restoration without surgery.

DermaClae does not necessarily replace traditional fat grafting. Instead, it expands the options available to patients seeking natural facial rejuvenation.

DermaClae vs. traditional dermal fillers

Hyaluronic acid fillers have revolutionized nonsurgical facial rejuvenation. Products such as Juvéderm and Restylane allow patients to restore volume without surgery and are particularly useful for targeted corrections.

However, DermaClae takes a different approach.

Rather than using a hyaluronic acid gel, DermaClae provides a structural material derived from human adipose tissue. (ASPS outlines the main types of dermal fillers if you want to compare categories.)

This difference is especially exciting for patients interested in a more tissue-based approach to facial restoration.

DermaClae is designed to create soft volume and integrate naturally with surrounding tissues. Its proposed advantages include natural facial contours and the ability to address broader regions of volume loss.

Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, however, DermaClae cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase. Long-term durability and comparative outcomes are still being evaluated.

The perfect treatment for facial aging and “Ozempic face”

One increasingly common concern is facial volume loss associated with significant weight reduction, particularly among patients using GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.

Although these medications can produce remarkable weight-loss results, the loss of facial fat may create an older, more hollow appearance.

Patients may notice sunken temples, flatter cheeks, more prominent facial folds, and decreased definition in the midface.

DermaClae may provide an appealing option for restoring some of this lost facial fullness without requiring liposuction.

This is particularly beneficial because patients who have lost substantial weight may not have enough remaining donor fat for conventional facial fat transfer.

For selected patients, carefully restoring volume can create a healthier, softer, and more youthful facial appearance. For the full range of options, see Dr. Burns' treatments for Ozempic face.

Natural results: the importance of facial anatomy

As a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 25 years of experience, Dr. John Burns emphasizes that excellent facial rejuvenation requires much more than simply adding volume.

A youthful face has specific anatomical proportions, smooth transitions between facial regions, and carefully balanced fullness.

Overfilling the cheeks or lower face can produce an artificial, distorted appearance.

Instead, Dr. Burns uses an individualized approach that focuses on restoring youthful facial contours while preserving each patient's natural identity.

His extensive experience with traditional facial fat transfer, deep-plane facelifts, and facial anatomy provides a valuable foundation for evaluating emerging technologies such as DermaClae.

The objective is always the same: Patients should look refreshed, rested, and naturally youthful—not obviously treated.

What is recovery like after DermaClae?

One of the greatest potential advantages of DermaClae is its convenience.

Because liposuction is unnecessary, treatment can generally be planned as an office-based procedure using local anesthesia.

Following treatment, patients may experience temporary swelling, bruising, tenderness, or minor discomfort at the injection sites.

Most patients should anticipate significantly less recovery than traditional facial fat grafting involving liposuction.

What to expect, step by step

Risks and safety

As with other injectable procedures, DermaClae is not risk-free. Possible complications include infection, nodules, irregular contours, inflammatory reactions, and vascular injury. Facial injections require particular caution because inadvertent injection into a blood vessel can cause tissue damage and, in rare cases, serious visual complications.

Treatment should be performed by a physician with advanced knowledge of facial anatomy and injectable safety.

Can DermaClae be combined with a facelift or other facial treatments?

Absolutely. One of the most important concepts in modern facial rejuvenation is that aging involves several different anatomical changes.

Facial aging is not simply caused by loose skin. It also involves loss of facial fat, changes in bone support, and alterations in skin quality.

A facelift can reposition descended facial tissues and remove excess skin, but it does not automatically replace lost facial volume.

Conversely, facial volume restoration alone cannot reliably correct significant skin laxity.

For this reason, Dr. Burns frequently combines different techniques when developing comprehensive facial rejuvenation plans—the idea behind his “Lift and Fill” facelift.

DermaClae may eventually become another valuable option alongside deep-plane facelifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasty, laser resurfacing, and other nonsurgical rejuvenation procedures.

What does DermaClae cost?

DermaClae is new, so there is no established average price yet. Cost depends on the planned volume, the areas treated and any combined procedures; Dr. Burns provides a personal quote at consultation.

If you are planning facial rejuvenation, the practice offers plastic surgery financing through partners such as CareCredit, PatientFi and Cherry, and you can start with a free online consultation.

Is DermaClae the future of facial fat grafting?

DermaClae represents an exciting evolution in aesthetic medicine.

The popularity of alloClae has demonstrated substantial interest in minimally invasive, donor-derived adipose tissue products for natural volume restoration.

DermaClae aims to bring the same underlying concept to facial rejuvenation, where precision, softness, and natural contours are critically important.

While conventional fat grafting will continue to play an essential role in facial surgery, the opportunity to restore facial fullness without harvesting fat may significantly expand treatment options.

Long-term clinical studies will be important in establishing the product's durability, safety, and ideal applications.

For patients who want to look younger without looking different, this technology is especially promising.

Facial rejuvenation with Dr. John Burns in Dallas, Texas

Dr. John L. Burns, Jr., MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in aesthetic facial rejuvenation, including deep-plane facelift surgery, neck lifts, blepharoplasty, and facial fat grafting.

With more than 25 years of experience and advanced fellowship training in aesthetic surgery, Dr. Burns combines meticulous surgical technique with innovative nonsurgical treatments to achieve natural-looking results.

His philosophy emphasizes restoring youthful facial proportions, maintaining individual facial characteristics, and avoiding the overfilled appearance that can occur with excessive treatment.

Patients come to his North Central Expressway office from across Dallas–Fort Worth, and nonsurgical skin care is available through JOLA Aesthetics, where he is Medical Director. Browse the before-and-after gallery and read patient reviews before your visit.

DermaClae represents an exciting potential addition to the growing range of facial rejuvenation options.

The future of facial rejuvenation is not about looking different. It is about looking naturally refreshed—with less downtime, fewer procedures, and increasingly sophisticated techniques.

Why patients choose Dr. John Burns for facial fat grafting and DermaClae in Dallas

Dr. Burns has decades of experience with facial fat transfer, deep-plane facelifts and laser resurfacing, so he evaluates newer options like DermaClae against what reliably works—with the goal of looking refreshed, not different.

Meet Dr. Burns

• Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery; Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
• More than 25 years of experience in aesthetic plastic surgery
• First plastic surgeon in the U.S. to complete a fellowship in laser surgery, at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he is a Clinical Instructor of Plastic Surgery
• Plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch (summa cum laude, Research Honors Program; Alpha Omega Alpha); microvascular training at MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Graduate of Vanderbilt University; cosmetic surgery training in Miami, Florida
• Named one of America's Best Plastic Surgeons by Newsweek (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026); 2024 categories: facelift, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation
• D Magazine Best Doctors (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) and D Magazine's “The Face of Breast Augmentation” (2024, 2025)
• Texas Monthly Super Doctors (2024)
• Medical Director of JOLA Aesthetics, an Allergan Double Black Diamond practice ranked among the top 20 in the U.S.
• Past President of the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute
• Board of Directors and contributing surgeon, Share-A-Smile Foundation

Frequently asked questions

The takeaway

DermaClae brings the idea behind facial fat grafting into the office: donor-derived fat tissue that can restore temples, cheeks and midface without liposuction or surgery. It may especially suit thin patients and those with GLP-1 facial volume loss. Because it is new and cannot be dissolved, long-term data and an experienced, anatomy-first injector matter. A consultation with Dr. Burns will clarify whether DermaClae, fat grafting, filler or a facelift fits your face.

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Sources: ASPS, Understanding fat-based fillers (2026); ASPS, Types of dermal fillers; Tiger Aesthetics news release. This article is for education and is not medical advice. Individual results vary.