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Dermal fillers are gels injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, soften folds and lines, and refine features such as the lips, cheeks, jawline and chin. The most widely used fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, a substance naturally present in the skin that attracts and holds water. Results are visible immediately, downtime is minimal, and the effect lasts for months before the body gradually breaks the filler down. Because hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with an enzyme, the treatment is reversible if needed.
Fillers are often used where the face has lost volume with age, where a feature would benefit from a little more definition, or where a small change can bring better balance to the face. Used well, they are subtle. Used without restraint, they are the reason many people fear looking “done”.
Areas that can be treated
| Area | Common goal |
|---|---|
| Lips | Adding volume, defining the border, correcting asymmetry |
| Cheeks | Restoring fullness over the cheekbones, lifting the midface slightly |
| Under the eyes (tear trough) | Softening hollows and dark shadows |
| Temples | Filling concavity that makes the upper face look narrow |
| Nasolabial folds | Softening the folds from nose to mouth |
| Marionette lines | Softening lines from the mouth corners down |
| Chin | Improving projection and profile balance |
| Jawline | Defining the jaw angle and outline |
| Nose | Smoothing a bump or dip without surgery |
Types of filler
Hyaluronic acid fillers vary in firmness and in how much they spread. Soft, flexible products are used for the lips and fine lines. Firmer products with more lifting capacity are used for the cheeks, chin and jawline. Very soft products are used under the eyes, where the skin is thin. Choosing the right product for each area is as important as the injection technique.
Other types of filler exist, including biostimulatory products that encourage the body to produce collagen and permanent fillers. Permanent fillers are generally avoided in aesthetic practice because complications can be long-lasting and difficult to treat.
Natural results
The most natural results come from restoring what has been lost rather than creating something new. A face that has lost volume in the cheeks and temples often looks tired or older, and replacing that volume can make it look fresher. Adding volume to areas that did not lose it, or adding more and more over time, gradually changes the face’s proportions and leads to an overfilled look. Planning looks at the whole face, not just the line or feature that bothers you.
Lip fillers
Lip filler is one of the most requested treatments, and one where restraint matters most. Lips can be enhanced in different ways: adding volume to the body of the lip, defining the border, lifting the Cupid’s bow, correcting asymmetry or hydrating lips that have thinned with age. A natural result keeps the upper lip slightly smaller than the lower, respects the shape you already have and avoids a hard, overfilled border. Starting with a small amount and adding more at a second visit, if needed, gives more control. If your upper lip is long and turns inwards, a lip lift may achieve more than filler alone.
Non-surgical rhinoplasty
Filler can reshape the nose without surgery by adding volume where it is lacking. It can camouflage a small bump by filling above and below it, straighten a slightly crooked appearance, lift a drooping tip a little or raise a low bridge. It cannot make a nose smaller, narrow a wide nose or improve breathing, which require rhinoplasty. The nose has a delicate blood supply, particularly after previous surgery, which makes it one of the higher-risk areas for filler, so careful technique and small amounts are essential.
Fillers and facial anatomy
Blood vessels run through the face at predictable depths and positions, but with individual variation. The most serious risk of filler treatment is injecting into or compressing a blood vessel, which can reduce blood supply to the skin, and in very rare cases affect vision. This risk is highest in areas such as the nose, the area between the brows and the nasolabial folds. Understanding the anatomy, using appropriate techniques such as blunt cannulas in some areas, injecting slowly and knowing how to respond immediately are essential. Hyaluronidase is kept available to dissolve filler if a problem occurs.
Who is a good candidate?
Fillers suit adults who want to restore volume, soften folds or refine features without surgery. They are not given during pregnancy or breastfeeding, where there is active infection or inflammation in the area, or in people with certain autoimmune conditions that are not stable. If you have had fillers before, bring information about the product and date.
The treatment
After a consultation and photographs, numbing cream is applied. Most fillers also contain a local anaesthetic. The filler is placed with a fine needle or a blunt cannula at the planned depth, and the area is gently moulded. Treatment takes twenty to forty-five minutes depending on the areas.
Aftercare
- avoid touching or massaging the treated area on the day of treatment unless instructed
- avoid strenuous exercise, saunas and alcohol for twenty-four hours
- sleep on your back the first night if the cheeks or lips were treated
- avoid dental treatment for about two weeks after lip filler
- contact us immediately if you notice increasing pain, pale or mottled skin, or any change in vision
How long fillers last
Duration depends on the area, the product and your metabolism. Lip filler usually lasts six to twelve months, and cheek, chin and jawline fillers often last twelve to eighteen months. The filler breaks down gradually, so the face returns slowly to its previous state rather than changing suddenly.
Side effects and risks
Common side effects include swelling, bruising, redness and tenderness, which settle within days. Less common problems include lumps, asymmetry, filler migration and a bluish tint when filler is too close to the surface. Rarely, infection or delayed inflammatory reactions can occur. The most serious risk, vascular occlusion, is rare but requires immediate treatment with hyaluronidase.
Fillers or surgery?
Fillers are ideal for volume and fine refinement. When the problem is sagging, surgery is often more effective and natural. Heavy cheeks that have descended respond better to an endoscopic midface lift. Under-eye bags need lower eyelid surgery. A long upper lip may need a lip lift rather than more filler. For large areas of volume loss, facial fat transfer can be a longer-lasting option. As a surgeon, Dr. Mehmet Özdemir can explain when filler is the right choice and when it is not.
Dermal fillers in Istanbul
Filler treatment can be done during a short visit or alongside a surgical consultation. A review at two weeks is ideal and can be arranged by video call if you are travelling.
Dr. Mehmet Özdemir is a plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon holding the EBOPRAS qualification, trained in Germany, Poland and Brazil. He practises in Bakırköy, Istanbul, consulting in Turkish, Kurdish, English and German.
