Blog
A Perspective from a Plastic Surgeon
Recently, there has been serious information pollution regarding fillers used in the facial area. Statements such as “Fillers do not dissolve”, “They migrate in the face”, “They swell the face and cause a pillow face appearance”, and “Do not get fillers, they are harmful” are frequently encountered on both social media and various platforms. In this article, as a plastic surgeon, I want to clarify these discussions.
Where Did the Problem with Fillers Begin?
As plastic surgeons, we have been opposed to excessive filler use since the very first day fillers began to be used in aesthetic medicine. Our approach has always been this:
- If there is volume loss in the face → Filler
- If there is sagging and a need for lifting in the face → Surgical lift operations
In other words, gaining volume with fillers and lifting tissues with surgery is essential. However, unfortunately, over the years, some practitioners who do not have the competence to perform surgical procedures have started to use fillers to obtain a lifting effect. Yet, filler is not a procedure that lifts sagging tissues upwards.
How Did the Pillow Face Appearance Come About?
While trying to achieve a lifting effect; when fillers are applied to wrong areas, in excessive amounts, and layer upon layer over the years, unnatural faces inevitably emerged. This image, called “pillow face” among the public, actually resulted from the wrong usage, not the filler itself.
Are Fillers Really Harmful?
No. Fillers are extremely practical, effective, and beneficial procedures when applied in the right hands. However, the following questions are very important here:
- Which area is the filler applied to?
- How much is applied?
- Which brand of filler is used?
- And most importantly, by whom is it applied?
If the answers to these questions are correct, filler applications have an irreplaceable place in facial aesthetics.
Filler or Surgery? How to Choose the Right Treatment?
Every face has different needs. Some faces really only have volume deficiency, and very natural results are obtained with filler. In some faces, the problem is not volume, but the downward displacement of tissues.
In such cases; trying to provide lifting with fillers leads to a more artificial appearance over time instead of making the face better. In patients requiring lifting, the correct solution is not filler, but surgical lift operations. This is exactly where the advantage of a plastic surgeon emerges: To be able to offer the patient not just a single method, but the most suitable treatment for their needs.
Conclusion: Fillers Are Very Valuable If Used Correctly
Fillers are not harmful. What is harmful is; wrong indication, excessive amount, wrong practitioner, and wrong expectation.
In the hands of a plastic surgeon, filler is a very powerful tool that provides natural, balanced results that do not tire the face. However, in cases requiring lifting, surgical lifting should be performed, not filler. Correct results in aesthetics are possible by applying the right treatment to the right patient.