Can Fillers Make You Look Older?
12 March 2024
By Dr Sophie Shotter

Facial Filler Treatment, Marylebone, London
It probably won’t come as a surprise that dermal fillers are one of the most commonly requested aesthetic treatments globally. Their ability to address the natural ageing process, specifically targeting fat depletion and bone resorption, positions them as a cornerstone treatment in aesthetic medicine. For years, fillers have been utilised to help restore what age takes away. But are we fighting too hard, too early – and, as a result, looking older, at a younger age? In this blog, I discuss everything you need to know about dermal fillers, including how they work and my insights into the uses and potential misuses of facial fillers.
The different types of dermal filler
Most dermal fillers are pure HA, and there are a few brands that have become household names due to their popularity with leading aesthetic practitioners.
Take, for instance, Juvederm, a frontrunner in the industry. This brand has developed an array of fillers, each tailored for specific applications across different facial regions. For structural support and contouring, Voluma is the go-to product, with its firmer consistency lending itself perfectly to enhancing the jawline and cheekbones. On the other hand, Volbella’s softer, more pliable nature makes it ideal for the delicate task of smoothing out perioral lines or augmenting the lips. Beyond fillers, Juvederm has expanded its suite with Volite, a skin-booster aimed at enhancing the skin’s overall hydration and texture.
A newer brand is HArmonyCA, a hybrid-injectable that combines HA with calcium hydroxyapatite (CA), a complex that stimulates your fibroblasts and growth factors, meaning the plumping effects continue for up to two years. Best used around the outer jaw and cheeks, it can do wonders for lifting and ‘opening up’ a tired-looking face.
How Do Dermal Fillers Work?
As we age, our faces become more lax (due to lower collagen and elastin levels), lose volume (due to depleting fat reserves) and start to droop (due to gravity). Additionally, our bones actually shrink, resulting in sagging and an increasingly deflated look. Whilst all perfectly natural, should it be a concern then fillers can help to address this. Our understating of the ageing process has expanded significantly, and we now understand how bone and fat loss contribute to facial ageing. With this knowledge we are able to rejuvenate our patients in keeping with their natural aesthetic by targeting the areas of change.
Filler will usually be used to replace volume, not add extra, unless we’re trying to address a weak chin for example. By using dermal filler to replace the loss, what you’re going to achieve is a softening of the facial features. This should therefore mean a look that’s fresh, healthier, lifted and sculpted without distorting the face and disrupting the balance.
Where can they be used?
Dermal fillers are used as a whole to freshen, fill, sculpt, add definition and revolumise where there has been loss of volume due to the natural process of ageing, including under the eyes (tear troughs), nose-to-mouth lines (nasolabial folds), marionette lines, cheeks, temples, jawline (pre-jowl folds) and chin. They can also be used in the lips (lip fillers), on the nose (non surgical rhinoplasty), or to rejuvenate aged or weather-beaten hands.
Can Starting Fillers Too Early Age Your Face?
A growing debate among experts and consumers alike centres on whether initiating filler treatments at a young age could inadvertently lead to an aged appearance over time. The concern stems from the possibility that excessive or inappropriate use of fillers can overstretch the skin or create an unnatural look, potentially accelerating the appearance of ageing.
However, when administered judicially and tailored to the individual’s unique facial anatomy, dermal fillers can indeed prevent and mitigate the signs of ageing rather than exacerbate them, as well as balance and contour areas of the face to help your facial profile appear more harmonious overall. Starting fillers too early is not inherently problematic; it’s more about the approach and amount of filler used. Conservative, strategic use focusing on addressing specific areas of concern whilst also keeping an eye on overall facial harmony can provide subtle, natural-looking results that evolve with the individual’s ageing process.
