Normiefag
Iron
- Joined
- May 3, 2020
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I had facial fillers nearly 2 years ago and am still very happy with the results. I’m a big advocate but it seems like many on this forum are understandably wary of them. So I wanted to share some of my thoughts based on my experience and I hope it helps some people.
1. DO NOT GET OVERFILLED. Unfortunately injectors will rarely say to you enough is enough. They will be so acclimatised to over-filled, egg-like faces (and have an obvious profit motive) that they may encourage you to get many more syringes than you actually need. When I got fillers my aesthetic doctor said at least 12ml was needed to be see a really great effect. Luckily I was cautious. You only need really minimal amounts (1-3 ml) by a skilled injector to achieve good results. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are extremely hydrophilic and will attract and bind many times its own weight in water, so a little goes a long way.
It’s better to be underfilled and go back for adjustments or more volume if needed. You’ll tend to have some swelling initially so will need to wait for this to settle to get a true picture. Take your time and reflect.
Moreover, HA fillers last a lot longer than the 6-12 months than manufacturers say. There is some evidence from MRI scans that fillers last a lot longer and take up to 10 (maybe even more) years to go away.
So why do people think filler has dissipated after a short time and then go to get refilled? Well, HA fillers are proposed to bind to collagen and elastin in the dermal layer, which keeps them in place. So unlike fat transfers they should not migrate to distant areas from the original injection site. So far, so good. However, HA fillers do still tend to spread and move over time, particularly if you get very high volumes in one area or if they are on a particularly mobile area such as the lip. Consequently, the filler moves and spreads, which leads to a loss of definition, people then get more and more, which accumulates and they end up looking overfilled.
2. Strategic placement.
Fillers should primarily be used to balance the proportions of your face. This could be addressing a problem area, such as a weak chin, or loss of volume due to age/weight loss. But a word of caution, do not rush to fill areas that you think are problematic (such as nasolabial folds) as you may just wreck the contours of your face and will end up looking smooth and puffy. Be smart about what areas to get done – do your homework and think about what needs lifting or bringing forward and the knock on effect this will have on other areas. I personally got minimal fillers deep, right on to the bone in my jaw, chin, brow and cheek.
It goes without saying that placement is crucial. Misplacement by even a few millimeters will kill your look. Many injectors will be used to treating women of a certain age and be unfamiliar with how to make men look more attractive. So have a clear aesthetic goal in mind and do not be scared to tell your practitioner very specifically what you want.
For example, if you want to fraud good cheekbones – you want the filler placed very high, near the orbit and at the very corner of the front part of the cheek. Not too laterally, which is feminising. It’s very rare that you’d want to widen your face in this way, as a) slimmer faces tend to be more attractive and b) your face width is normally in proportion to your eye width. Plus it’s a dead giveaway that you’ve been pumped. But you’d be surprised how often injectors make this mistake. Keep the sides of your cheeks flat.
(An example of good filler placement in cheekbone, brow, jaw, chin, base of nose, temples and lip)
3. Know your fillers.
Apart from some rare exceptions I would strongly recommend only getting hyaluronic acid fillers, which are reversible with injections of hyaluronidase (HA filler dissolver). Permanent fillers such as Sculptra and Radiesse are irreversible without surgery so if you don’t like the results you’re pretty screwed. Accidental intra-arterial injection that causes blindness is extremely rare but if you’re unlucky you want something that is immediately dissolvable. As an aside, if you’re getting a high-risk area (nose, forehead, nasolabial folds) filled I would ask your injector to have hyaluronidase to hand.
Furthermore, permanent fillers are more susceptible to complications from infections. Your body is also more likely to trigger an immune response (such as granulomas forming) as it is more likely to recognise permanent fillers as foreign agents compared to HA, which is naturally produced.
There are different types of HA fillers so you could do some research on what works where. Softer fillers tend to be better for around the eyes and lips, whereas firmer fillers are more suited to cheeks and chin. Some fillers you need to wait a week for to see the final result whereas some you can see the results fairly instantaneously (after swelling goes down). I’d be more inclined to be flexible here and trust your injector, who may favour certain fillers.
4. Final thoughts
Make smart choices. If you’re in the UK injectors do not need to be licensed medical practitioners. Obviously don’t go to some back alley clinic because the prices are cheap. Find an injector you who is experienced, skilled and who listens to your needs and analyses your face before injecting.
Know the limitations of fillers. They’re not a panacea and won’t, for example, be any use in combating wrinkles and fine lines. Botox or skin resurfacing treatments > fillers. Similarly, if you have a lot of sagging then a face lift > fillers.
Keep before and after photos, so you don’t become accustomed to a filled face and then start chasing more and more. And don’t be afraid to get them removed if they don't look right. You can always get more.
Be realistic. I imagine very few people here will actually get major, invasive maxillofacial surgery (although I could be wrong). Fillers are more affordable and less risky but of course will not have such a dramatic transformative effect. So manage your expectations!
I'll leave you with this queen who is 82(!) and, unlike many of her celebrity contemporaries, is a master of subtle, well placed filler.
1. DO NOT GET OVERFILLED. Unfortunately injectors will rarely say to you enough is enough. They will be so acclimatised to over-filled, egg-like faces (and have an obvious profit motive) that they may encourage you to get many more syringes than you actually need. When I got fillers my aesthetic doctor said at least 12ml was needed to be see a really great effect. Luckily I was cautious. You only need really minimal amounts (1-3 ml) by a skilled injector to achieve good results. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are extremely hydrophilic and will attract and bind many times its own weight in water, so a little goes a long way.
It’s better to be underfilled and go back for adjustments or more volume if needed. You’ll tend to have some swelling initially so will need to wait for this to settle to get a true picture. Take your time and reflect.
Moreover, HA fillers last a lot longer than the 6-12 months than manufacturers say. There is some evidence from MRI scans that fillers last a lot longer and take up to 10 (maybe even more) years to go away.
So why do people think filler has dissipated after a short time and then go to get refilled? Well, HA fillers are proposed to bind to collagen and elastin in the dermal layer, which keeps them in place. So unlike fat transfers they should not migrate to distant areas from the original injection site. So far, so good. However, HA fillers do still tend to spread and move over time, particularly if you get very high volumes in one area or if they are on a particularly mobile area such as the lip. Consequently, the filler moves and spreads, which leads to a loss of definition, people then get more and more, which accumulates and they end up looking overfilled.
2. Strategic placement.
Fillers should primarily be used to balance the proportions of your face. This could be addressing a problem area, such as a weak chin, or loss of volume due to age/weight loss. But a word of caution, do not rush to fill areas that you think are problematic (such as nasolabial folds) as you may just wreck the contours of your face and will end up looking smooth and puffy. Be smart about what areas to get done – do your homework and think about what needs lifting or bringing forward and the knock on effect this will have on other areas. I personally got minimal fillers deep, right on to the bone in my jaw, chin, brow and cheek.
It goes without saying that placement is crucial. Misplacement by even a few millimeters will kill your look. Many injectors will be used to treating women of a certain age and be unfamiliar with how to make men look more attractive. So have a clear aesthetic goal in mind and do not be scared to tell your practitioner very specifically what you want.
For example, if you want to fraud good cheekbones – you want the filler placed very high, near the orbit and at the very corner of the front part of the cheek. Not too laterally, which is feminising. It’s very rare that you’d want to widen your face in this way, as a) slimmer faces tend to be more attractive and b) your face width is normally in proportion to your eye width. Plus it’s a dead giveaway that you’ve been pumped. But you’d be surprised how often injectors make this mistake. Keep the sides of your cheeks flat.
(An example of good filler placement in cheekbone, brow, jaw, chin, base of nose, temples and lip)
3. Know your fillers.
Apart from some rare exceptions I would strongly recommend only getting hyaluronic acid fillers, which are reversible with injections of hyaluronidase (HA filler dissolver). Permanent fillers such as Sculptra and Radiesse are irreversible without surgery so if you don’t like the results you’re pretty screwed. Accidental intra-arterial injection that causes blindness is extremely rare but if you’re unlucky you want something that is immediately dissolvable. As an aside, if you’re getting a high-risk area (nose, forehead, nasolabial folds) filled I would ask your injector to have hyaluronidase to hand.
Furthermore, permanent fillers are more susceptible to complications from infections. Your body is also more likely to trigger an immune response (such as granulomas forming) as it is more likely to recognise permanent fillers as foreign agents compared to HA, which is naturally produced.
There are different types of HA fillers so you could do some research on what works where. Softer fillers tend to be better for around the eyes and lips, whereas firmer fillers are more suited to cheeks and chin. Some fillers you need to wait a week for to see the final result whereas some you can see the results fairly instantaneously (after swelling goes down). I’d be more inclined to be flexible here and trust your injector, who may favour certain fillers.
4. Final thoughts
Make smart choices. If you’re in the UK injectors do not need to be licensed medical practitioners. Obviously don’t go to some back alley clinic because the prices are cheap. Find an injector you who is experienced, skilled and who listens to your needs and analyses your face before injecting.
Know the limitations of fillers. They’re not a panacea and won’t, for example, be any use in combating wrinkles and fine lines. Botox or skin resurfacing treatments > fillers. Similarly, if you have a lot of sagging then a face lift > fillers.
Keep before and after photos, so you don’t become accustomed to a filled face and then start chasing more and more. And don’t be afraid to get them removed if they don't look right. You can always get more.
Be realistic. I imagine very few people here will actually get major, invasive maxillofacial surgery (although I could be wrong). Fillers are more affordable and less risky but of course will not have such a dramatic transformative effect. So manage your expectations!
I'll leave you with this queen who is 82(!) and, unlike many of her celebrity contemporaries, is a master of subtle, well placed filler.
