Q:

Filler injections seem to be a very popular treatment. Sometimes fillers look great, but sometimes people look puffy and have huge lips. What is the difference? I’ve read about fillers being used in other areas of the face. Can you explain what it does, and if it would be beneficial for me?

A:

Filler injections are extremely popular, with about 3.5 million of these procedures performed in 2020. The results can vary with the filler products selected, injector technique and desire of the patient and/or injector. The hyaluronic acid, or the filler, is very similar to what naturally occurs in our skin. While lip plumping is probably the most familiar use of filler, as you mentioned it has so many more applications. To understand what filler can do, think of your young face as a fully- inflated beach ball–smooth, firm, and wrinkle-free. What happens with normal aging is that our face deflates, resulting in sagging, shadows, and a tired look. When we place filler in the face, it restores some of that lost volume, resulting in a lifted, firmer, and fresher appearance. Filler should not be obvious; it should make us look more like we used to. We use it in almost all areas of the face, and just about everyone can benefit from filler, generally starting around age 30. To achieve natural-looking, beautiful results we take into consideration facial proportions, skin quality, anatomy, genetics, cultural preferences, and your medical history.