Is it time to say goodbye to these corrective tweaks?

In 2015 when Kylie Jenner finally admitted that lip fillers transformed her face and not just puberty, Google searches for fillers surged by whopping 11,000 per cent in just four hours. In the years that followed, multiple celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Chrissy Teigen, and Courteney Cox were seen with noticeable changes in their appearance. Raised eyebrows, lifted cheeks, plump lips, and smooth skin became markers of injectable use. Soon, fillers became a common topic in discussions about cosmetic enhancements. Netflix’s 2020 series, Skin Decisions, showcased real-life individuals undergoing aesthetic procedures, offering viewers a glimpse into these treatments. However, many of these celebrities later spoke publicly about their regrets regarding fillers. “I went too far with fillers, and they’re my biggest beauty regret,” said Courteney Cox on a podcast. Others—including Kristin Davis and Simon Cowell—joined in, expressing regret about their experiences with fillers, often lamenting that they shouldn’t have made so many attempts to enhance their appearance.

Dermal fillers are conventional gel-like injectable treatments used to enhance skin smoothness by being injected into various areas of the skin. “These are temporary fillers made of hyaluronic acid that remain in the tissue for less than a year,” explains Dr Madhuri Agarwal, founder and medical director of Yavana Aesthetics Clinic. In recent years, there has been a surge in the popularity of fillers for several reasons. According to Dr Kiran Sethi, medical director and founder of ISYA Aesthetics in Delhi, celebrity culture and social media pressure to look perfect have played a massive role in popularising filler use. “Fillers are non surgical, offer minimal downtime, and deliver instant results. It’s the easiest and quickest fix for something that may be bothering you,” she explains

Apart from celebrities, content creators have also been sharing their filler journeys with their online audiences. Natasha Patel, a content creator, has always been vocal about her hereditary sunken under-eye bags on social media. “Initially, I wanted to experiment and just see what I’d look like without any dark circles because my under-eyes are dark and sunken,” she says. She has extensively documented her filler journey on Instagram. However, she decided against getting them done a second time because she didn’t want to interfere with the delicate skin near her eyes, as it is the thinnest area on the face. Similarly, Aanam Chashmawala, a content creator and founder of Wearified, opted for lip fillers because she felt slightly self-conscious about her thin upper lip, which would curl in when she smiled. “With time, I realised that there was a possibility of it shifting on my face, and that wasn’t worth the potential risk,” she elaborates. On the international front, Love Island star Molly Mae has passionately discussed getting her lip filler dissolved in a YouTube video that currently has over a million views. “I’ve had things dissolved all throughout my face, I feel like I’m starting to go back to the way I used to look before I had fillers everywhere,” she says. While the filler boom took over the world for a hot minute, it is arguably tapering down bit by bit.

Dr Rashmi Shetty, a cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Ra Skin & Aesthetics, reveals that she frequently sees patients looking to have their existing fillers dissolved. “Fillers often encounter problems, especially because many practitioners lack proper aesthetic training to administer the correct amount, which can lead to several issues over time.” She explains that initially patients assume getting fillers done after regular intervals are harmless since the process is easy and the results are instant, unlike energy-based treatments or Botox, which require a few sessions or have some recovery time. However, she warns that this practice often results in overfilling, which poses multiple risks and may eventually require dissolution. This process involves an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which is naturally present in the skin. Many individuals are now choosing to dissolve fillers or simply avoid them altogether in pursuit of a more natural aesthetic, driven by concerns about potential complications.

Much like any other trend, beauty ones too evolve over time. There was a time when overfilled lips and prominent cheekbones were the primary requests received by most aestheticians and doctors. Dr Sethi notes that during this period, many people overdid it by attempting to erase all their lines with dermal fillers, resulting in distorted appearances that resembled pillows. Over injection of certain facial areas can lead to puffiness, and in some cases, filler migration. This brings to mind Jenner’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, which sparked an intriguing conversation about migrating filler due to her under eye area looking unusually puffy.

It seems that non-invasive fillers will still continue to be relevant in the cosmetic landscape since there are certain facial improvements only they can achieve, such as cheekbone creation, non-surgical nose jobs, and chin and jawline augmentation. The decline in dermal fillers has proportionately led to the growth of preventative procedures such as boosters, biostimulators, and regenerative thread lifts. Focusing on the skin’s health instead of opting for corrective tweaks incessantly will lead to reduced invasive procedures as one ages with time.

Lead image credit: Getty Images 

This article first appeared in Harper's Bazaar India October-November 2024, print edition. 

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