A Beverly Hills reconstructive surgeon is encouraging people not to believe beauty clichés that say dermal fillers are a temporary fix. Fillers are becoming a very popular procedure.

“You cannot fill your face to achieve youth,” he adds, noting that even small additions might cause lasting harm, leading to the infamous pillow face.

If you are keen to learn more about this, keep reading!

Dermal fillers have quickly gained popularity in the cosmetic business and among celebrities, offering a young glow without the need for intrusive surgery. These injectable treatments are thought to be a safe and reversible therapy that smooths wrinkles, fills lips, and shapes the face in ways that cosmetics cannot.

However, Dr. Kami Parsa, an oculoplastic and reconstructive surgeon, warns that dermal fillers are not necessarily the fast, temporary cure that many feel they are.

In July 2024, the Beverly Hills physician posted a stunning TikTok video that attracted the curiosity of 12.4 million internet people. The video shows MRI scans of dermal fillers beneath the skin from a patient who had over 12 syringes of hyaluronic acid (HA) filler over a six-year period.

HA is a common dermal filler used in cosmetic procedures to reduce wrinkles, restore volume, and improve face contours for a more youthful appearance.

But what’s underlying is astounding.

The filler forms clumps and continues to expand.

In the video, Parsa displays the green regions on the scan, which depict filler clumps that remain years after injection. The doctor measured and determined that the filler equaled about 28 cubic centimeters, which was more than double the initial amount injected. He notes that this rise is attributable to the hydrophilic nature of hyaluronic acid fillers, which attract and hold water, as well as their tendency to produce tissue expansion with time.

“We believe that hyaluronic acid fillers have been misused for several years.” We felt it was important to share our findings,” Parsa told Newsweek on the long-term sustainability and safety of repeated filler applications. “We hope that people will learn that less is more when it comes to the HA filler.”

Parsa’s findings emphasize an important reality: while HA fillers are marketed as a temporary cosmetic solution that dissolves naturally between six months and two years, small quantities can linger beneath the skin for up to ten years, he claims, particularly when procedures are done regularly.

The prolonged presence of HA fillers, combined with their ability to retain water and enhance volume, can result in unexpected and sometimes undesirable effects, including overfilled syndrome or pillow face.

Pillowface.

@kamiparsamd #kamiparsa #fillers #hylenex #dissolvingfiller #dermalfillers #lips #teartroughfiller ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose

Overfilled syndrome is the artificial, over-plumped look that results from injecting too much filler into the face. While fillers are intended to increase volume and smooth wrinkles, excessive or repeated use can stretch the skin and change face proportions. This produces the puffed-out, exaggerated expression known as pillow face. This completely contradicts the ideal of beauty they aim to maintain.

“Every day, we encounter gorgeous patients from all over the world who are extremely overloaded. “I feel like a broken record, but you cannot fill your face with youth,” the doctor says on social media. The photograph attached to the article depicts a woman who required many surgeries to treat severe edema in her face.

The progression of the condition is evident.

Dr. Parsa warns that an overfilled condition does not occur overnight. Instead, it frequently leads in:

Layering fillers: Repeating injections without allowing prior fillers to dissolve might result in filler buildup.

Overcorrection: Adding too much volume in a single session or focusing too intensively on specific regions of the face.

Skin stretching: The weight of the filler might cause the skin to stretch progressively, giving the face an unnatural round or puffy appearance.

‘Injecting poison.’

The disturbing TikTok video sparked a flood of comments from internet users who were stunned by the grisly disclosure.

“When it first came out, all injectors said it would only last six months,” says a concerned internet user. Parsa responds, “That’s what the filler [companies] were telling us.”

A second cyber admirer writes, “I got lip filler once, and I’m convinced they are above and below my lips and will never go away.” While a third states, “Finally, this is being discussed.” The mass production of fillers and their excessive use without proper warnings is concerning.”

Another says she’ll retain her face the way it is: “I’ll never have fillers, Botox, or anything like that.” It just seems so scary and strange to inject poison into your face,” the user says.

Were you aware that fillers do not always dissolve and form clumps underneath the surface?