Dermal Fillers: 10 Things You Need to Know About Fillers
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Introduction
These days dermal fillers are very popular, with many people using them to smooth fine lines and increase volume in lips, cheeks and the back of the hands. Most people are very happy with the results they get from these treatments. Fillers are injected under the skin to create a smoother or plumper appearance in the area treated.
1. What is the difference between fillers and botox?
Botox is short for botulinum toxin products. These products have brand names, with Botox being one of those, and others include Xeomin and Jeuveau. Botox works by paralysing the muscle to some extent, which means that wrinkles and lines caused by facial expressions are kept at bay.
Dermal fillers are gels injected under the skin to create additional volume. Fillers and botox are often used in tandem with each other.
2. Are fillers suitable for everyone?
Dermal fillers may not be suitable for people with certain medical conditions, including allergies. In the US, the FDA advises people to work with a licensed, experienced and knowledgeable health care provider who will explain to you the risks and benefits before receiving treatment.
3. Are there risks associated with fillers?
Yes, as with any medical treatment, there can be side effects. These can include bruising, infection and migration of filler to a different area. A serious side effect that can occur is blindness, when the filler is accidentally injected into an artery flowing into the eyes. Nodules can also form around the site of the injections, which later have to be surgically removed.
In extreme cases, tissue death can occur as a result of blockage of blood flow, known as a vascular occlusion. Vascular occlusions are rare but they are extremely serious, and this is one of the main reasons to always ensure that the injector is properly trained.
4. Can fillers be reversed or dissolved?
Yes, Hyaluronic Acid, which is the most commonly used filler, can be dissolved using Hyaluronidase. You may wish to do this if you find that you have been overfilled or the injector may need to do this if a medical emergency, such as a vascular occlusion, occurs.
5. How long do fillers last for?
According to the FDA, the following fillers that they approve are temporary: Hyaluronic Acid, Calcium Hydroxylapatite and Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA). We are told that they last from six to eighteen months.
However, Dr Mobin Master published an article “Long-term MRI Follow-up of Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Filler”, where he shows that Hyaluronic Acid can last much longer than 18 months. He speculates that the lower part of the face might have faster re-absorption of filler due to jaw movement, whereas in the more static areas, such as the cheeks, it could take much longer. In his study, he sees the persistence of Hyaluronic Acid at 27 months in the lateral and mid-face.
6. What are ways that filler should not be used?
Using filler to contour or augment body parts such as breasts and buttocks is warned against as it can have complications, including infection, scarring, and can even lead to death.
It is possible to use filler products at home. You can buy a Hyaluron Pen, which uses pressurised air to spread Hyaluronic Acid under the skin of the lips. According to the Aesthetic and Dermatology Center, it is easy to misuse the product by using too much or putting it in the wrong area, which could lead to problems, including blocked blood vessels, skin necrosis, bruising, and lumpiness. You also need to bear in mind, that while these pens might be promoted by beauty influencers, there is a good chance that there could be a paid partnership between the supplier and the influencer, meaning that the advice is not impartial.
It also should go without saying that you should never attempt to inject yourself with dermal filler. It is technically possible to do this, and there are groups where information on where to buy the products and how to self-administer the injections are shared. However, this is simply not worth the risk involved, no matter how much money it saves!
7. What are the potential long-term effects of injectable treatments?
The safe use of fillers, botox and other treatments in conjunction with each other has not yet been evaluated in clinical studies. The truth is that use of these treatments by the general public has only been happening for a few years and it will be a long time before we really understand the long-term effects.
We are making the assumption that it is perfectly safe to begin these injections in our twenties and continue having them every few months for years, but we don’t know for sure.
8. Why is overfilling so common?
In the video below, Dr Amir Karam talks about why are celebrities and influencers starting to dissolve their facial fillers. Patients are starting to recognise that they have been overfilled and that it does not look good.
We would speculate that overfilling happens when the patient and injector lose touch with what healthy facial proportions look like; patients want more and more filler and the injectors become so used to looking at overfilled faces they develop a distorted perception of beauty.
Overfilling can be explained by body dysmorphia, which can occur in either or both patient and injector. However, only a minority of the population have body dysmorphia, and so a more universal explanation could be that these changes in our appearance occur over time. We get used to how we look gradually – the analogy of the frog placed in cold water, which is slowly brought to a boiling temperature, does not notice that it is being cooked. And, if lots of other people in real life, on social media and in the celebrity world are having the same work done, then it all starts to seem quite normal!
There is also an argument that overfilling can create an attractive look, depending on the eye of the beholder. There are groups of people that believe that overfilled lips are more attractive than natural looking lips, and so they are deliberately opting for an overfilled look.
According to Psychologist Dr Ben Buchanan, in the above video, another reason for overfilling is that getting fillers can make us feel quite happy, if we are pleased with the results. But happy feelings are temporary and wear off quickly. This may lead us to wish to recreate the elevated feeling by opting to have the filler done again soon. Dr Cara McDonald, a Dermatologist, also featured in the above video, makes the point that patients often can’t tell the difference between looking striking and looking slightly odd.
9. What are potential negative impacts of being overfilled?
Dr Steven Dayan, a US plastic surgeon, wrote a paper on a model to measure attractiveness defined by beauty, genuineness and self-esteem. Treatments like filler can increase our beauty levels and, consequently, our confidence. However, they can reduce our perceived level of genuineness as our facial proportions may be distorted or we may have restricted movement in our facial muscles.
Most people agree that they don’t want to look ‘odd’ or ‘done’ but this can be a consequence of long-term filler use.
10. There is a lot of deception about how beauty is achieved.
Many well-known celebrities deny plastic surgery and other treatments, creating the impression that they naturally look perfect, despite being in their 40s or 50s – or that their beauty perfection is a result of the use of their own product lines! And so many photos on social media have been touched up and filtered.
The truth is that, through the conditioning of magazines and social media, much of the beauty standards we aspire to have been achieved through some combination of the services of incredibly talented plastic surgeons and altered photographic images.
Maybe we need to limit our daily time on social media and be careful about who we follow? Perhaps we should use critical thinking to analyse whether to give our precious time and attention to celebrities and influencers who put out images depicting supernatural beauty standards?
Alternative ways to reshape your face
We thought it might be helpful to point out that there other ways to change the shape of your face. We have seen great results with facial exercising and face yoga. We’re linking three products below that get a lot of good feedback on Amazon.
These type of products require consistent use to be effective but they are generally safe, with no side effects. The only caveat we would mention is that we have heard reports of TMJ, a painful jaw condition, being linked to overuse of jaw exercisers.
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Conclusion
The Seeoran team are generally cautious about injectables for a few different reasons. We wonder if Botox use can impact how relatable and genuine a person seems because when two people have rapport they tend to mirror each other’s body and facial expressions – but the ability to mirror certain facial movements can be shut down by Botox.
We are also concerned that, at some point in the future, it might transpire that using injectables over long periods of time could have negative consequences for your health.
But we also know that lots of people use injectables and are really happy with the results they get, and so injectable use is entirely a personal choice.
If you want to try a more natural route to achieving a youthful look, we have plenty of articles you can read. Some you might like would be:
- Copper Peptides: Your Key to a Youthful Glow
- Rice Water: The Ultimate Beauty Booster for Your Skin and Hair
What do you think about fillers and botox? Do you use them? What kind of results have you seen? Would you consider using them in the future?