What is ‘filler face’ and why is it becoming a problem?

Beauty lovers across the world are witnessing a decline in the popularity of fillers. Once hailed as the miracle product in cosmetic surgery and aesthetics and a must-have for many, there seems to be a return to wanting to look the way people originally did before that part of their cosmetic journey began.

American news outlet Fox26 recently featured a report filmed in Houston, Texas where Dr Mirwat Sami reported seeing a spike in people getting too much filler in their faces.

Dr Sami now works to repair the problem of “filler face” by specialising in the removal of unwanted filler in her patients.

The insert claimed that over 3 million doses of filler are used in the United States each year in the unending quest for a youthful appearance, however, many are starting to regret getting them.

Among those who regret this decision are actress Courtney Cox (most famous for her role as Monica in the sitcom Friends) and reality show judge and music mogul Simon Cowell.

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This is due to the trend that has seen those with filler starting to look puffy and swollen months (and sometimes even years) after first getting them.

Another reason for this is what Dr Sami calls “filler face” which occurs when someone repeatedly gets injectables and this leads to a botched appearance as the filler starts to build up in the face.

“It almost makes you look like a different person. You know, they can almost look like avatars of their original faces.”

A lot of the damage she sees as a result of the injectables also occurs as a result of what she calls tear trough complications, leading to a puffy appearance under the eyes.

In addition to noticing puffiness and a swollen appearance, Dr Sami states that a large number of patients who come to her practice have reported hollowing in certain areas of the face, undereye bags as well as wrinkling and thinning of the under-eye skin.

After making long-term observations of MRI scans of a range of patients, the doctor also reveals that fillers don’t dissolve into the body as previously believed.

She believes some can harden over time and even collect water.

This has not stopped her practice from offering fillers and she advises those who would still like to get fillers to do it carefully and consult a seasoned professional.

“So finding a product that has a smaller molecular size, something that is more of a finessed product that can be injected in the right plane and crate a softness of the hollowing is important.”

Compiled by Kaunda Selisho