Cosmetic surgery
Facial Contouring in Pasadena & Sherman Oaks
Chin, jawline, cheek, and midface contouring with implants, fat transfer, and targeted fat reduction. Dr. Husam Elias, board certified in both facial cosmetic and maxillofacial surgery, knows when soft tissue will reshape your profile and when the answer lies in the bone.
Balance and Definition for Your Profile
Cosmetic facial contouring is a group of procedures that change the shape and proportions of the face by adding volume, placing implants, or removing fat over the facial skeleton. It can strengthen a receding chin, sharpen a soft jawline, restore fullness to flat cheeks, or slim a face that looks rounder than you would like. Unlike a facelift, which lifts tissue that has descended, contouring changes the underlying shape that tissue rests on.
At Cosmetic Doc, contouring begins with an honest assessment of where the imbalance comes from. Dr. Husam Elias is triple board certified, including in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and uses facial analysis and 3D imaging when it adds value to measure your chin, jaw, cheeks, and midface against the rest of your features. That lets him recommend the least invasive option that can realistically reach your goal.
Soft-Tissue Contouring or Skeletal Surgery?
This page covers the soft-tissue side of contouring: implants placed over the bone, fat transfer, and fat reduction. These options work well when your bite is healthy and the difference you want is a matter of millimeters in projection or fullness.
When the cause is structural, such as a significantly underdeveloped or asymmetric jaw, a bite that does not meet correctly, or width that comes from the bone itself, reshaping or repositioning the bone may be the better answer. Dr. Elias performs those procedures too; learn more about facial skeletal contouring, chin and jaw surgery, and our broader maxillofacial surgery practice.
Procedures
Facial Contouring Procedures We Offer
These procedures reshape the face through implants, your own fat, or targeted fat removal. Many patients combine two or more for balanced, natural-looking results.
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Chin Augmentation
A carefully sized chin implant placed through a small incision under the chin or inside the mouth adds forward projection, strengthening a weak or receding chin and improving balance with the nose and neck.
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Jawline Contouring
Implants along the angle or body of the jaw, fat transfer, or targeted liposuction sharpen a soft or undefined jawline, creating a cleaner border between the face and neck.
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Cheek Augmentation
Cheek implants or fat transfer add fullness and projection to flat or hollow cheekbones, restoring the gentle curves that catch light and help the midface look youthful and lifted.
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Midface Lift & Volume
Repositions descended cheek fat and restores lost volume beneath the eyes and along the cheeks, softening the transition between the lower eyelid and cheek and reducing a tired or hollow look.
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Facial Implants
Solid, biocompatible implants shaped for the chin, jaw angle, cheeks, or under-eye area provide long-lasting, predictable structure. Size and shape are chosen to match your anatomy and proportions.
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Facial Fat Transfer
Your own purified fat restores volume to the cheeks, temples, jawline, and chin, offering soft, natural fullness and a gentle contouring effect without a synthetic implant.
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Facial Slimming
Buccal fat reduction and submental liposuction slim a round face or full lower face. When width comes from the jaw muscle or bone, other treatments may be more effective.
Implants, Fat, or Both?
Implants and fat transfer can both add projection, but they behave differently. A facial implant provides firm, defined structure that stays in place, which makes it well suited to the chin and jaw angle, where crisp edges matter. Fat transfer, detailed on our facial fat grafting page, adds softer volume that blends into surrounding tissue and suits the cheeks, temples, and under-eye hollows. A portion of transferred fat is typically reabsorbed, so a touch-up is sometimes needed. Many plans use both.
Facial Slimming and Facial Width
A full or round lower face can come from several sources. Buccal fat reduction removes part of a deep fat pad in the cheek through a small incision inside the mouth, which can subtly hollow the area below the cheekbones. Submental liposuction removes fat beneath the chin for a cleaner neck and jaw line; when loose skin is also present, a neck lift may be recommended instead.
When width comes from an enlarged chewing (masseter) muscle, neuromodulator injections, described among our non-surgical treatments, can gradually reduce its bulk. When the jaw bone itself is wide or prominent, soft-tissue slimming has limits, and skeletal treatment may be discussed instead. Patients seeking contouring that honors their heritage may also find our Asian facial surgery page helpful.
Why Cosmetic Doc
Why Contouring Here Is Different
Reshaping the face calls for an understanding of both soft tissue and bone. Here is what that means for your plan.
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See Beneath the Surface
Training in both facial cosmetic and maxillofacial surgery lets Dr. Elias recognize when a concern is skeletal, so you are not given an implant when the bone needs attention.
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Least Invasive First
When fat transfer or an implant can meet your goal, there may be no need for bone surgery. When it cannot, you will hear that honestly at your consultation.
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Design With Precision
Facial analysis and 3D imaging, when useful, help guide implant size, shape, and position so changes are proportional to your nose, lips, and neck.
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Balance the Whole Face
Chin, jaw, and cheek changes are planned together, and alongside procedures like rhinoplasty or a facelift, so every feature relates naturally to the others.
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Protect Your Identity
Contouring should refine your features, not replace them. Dr. Elias aims for results that look like a stronger, more balanced version of your own face.
Recovery After Facial Contouring
Recovery varies with the procedure. After implant placement or fat transfer, swelling is common for one to two weeks, and most patients return to desk work within about a week or two. Buccal fat reduction and submental liposuction usually involve a shorter recovery, although final contours may take a few months to appear as swelling resolves. You will follow detailed pre- and post-operative instructions throughout.
Cost and Scheduling Your Consultation
The cost of facial contouring depends on the procedures chosen, implant type, technique, anesthesia, facility fees, and whether procedures are combined. Cosmetic contouring is generally elective and not covered by insurance. You will receive a personalized, written quote at your consultation, and we accept cash, checks, major credit and debit cards, and financing plans.
To find out whether soft-tissue contouring can reach your goals, schedule a consultation with Dr. Elias at Cosmetic Doc in Pasadena or Sherman Oaks.
Questions patients ask
Facial Contouring FAQs
Should I get a chin implant or chin surgery on the bone?
A chin implant works well when you need moderate forward projection and your bite is healthy. When the chin needs to move vertically, shift sideways to correct asymmetry, or advance more than an implant can achieve, repositioning the bone may be more effective. Dr. Elias performs both and will explain which suits your anatomy.
How do I know if my facial width comes from fat, muscle, or bone?
A hands-on exam, including feeling the jaw muscle as you clench, often reveals the source, and imaging can clarify bone structure when needed. Fat responds to buccal fat reduction or liposuction, a large masseter muscle to neuromodulators, and wide bone to skeletal procedures. Correct diagnosis comes first.
Is buccal fat removal right for everyone?
No. Buccal fat reduction suits patients with genuinely full lower cheeks and good underlying volume. Removing too much, or removing it from a face that is already thin, can cause a hollow, aged look over time. Dr. Elias recommends it conservatively and only when your anatomy supports it.
Are facial implants permanent?
Facial implants are designed to be long lasting and do not dissolve. Because they are removable, they can be exchanged or taken out if your goals change or a complication occurs. Dr. Elias selects implant size and shape carefully so the result looks natural and integrates with your features.
Can fat transfer replace facial implants?
Sometimes. Fat transfer adds soft, natural volume and works especially well in the cheeks, temples, and hollows. It produces less crisp definition than an implant, and part of the fat is typically reabsorbed. For a sharply defined chin or jaw angle, an implant or a combination may be recommended.
Can facial contouring be combined with other procedures?
Yes. Chin augmentation is often paired with rhinoplasty, since chin projection affects how the nose looks in profile, and cheek or jawline contouring is often combined with a facelift or neck lift. Combining procedures can mean a single recovery when it is safe for your health.
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Your Choice for Expert Cosmetic Surgery in Pasadena & Sherman Oaks
Cosmetic Doc delivers board-certified cosmetic surgery with care, compassion, and artistry. From facelifts and rhinoplasty to body contouring, Dr. Husam Elias pairs dual MD/DMD training with an on-site AAAHC-accredited surgery center for the safest, most natural-looking results. Contact our Pasadena or Sherman Oaks office today to schedule your consultation.