Good vs Bad: Bad Filler and How To Avoid It

It feels like we’re in the middle of a filler backlash at the moment, with almost daily news articles highlighting the dangers of botched treatments and celebrities queuing up to announce they’ve had theirs dissolved (or never touched it in the first place).  At this stage,  seeing bad filler is all too common, you might even have had a bad experience yourself, so it’s easy to see why the treatment seems to be falling out of favour for some.  But it does raise the questions many of us may have asked ourselves in recent months: why am I seeing so much bad filler and how can I avoid it?

To answer properly we’ve taken a deeper look at filler and how it’s being used.

What is filler?

As familiar as we’ve become with the concept of filler, it’s worth revisiting what we actually mean when we talk about it.  At its simplest, filler is a substance that when injected under the skin works to add volume.  A number of different materials can be used, some naturally occurring and some synthetic.  Different materials have varying properties that improve their efficacy and bring added benefits - for example once injected, hyaluronic acid filler attracts water, helping to maintain hydration, while some of the newer fillers on the market, such as Ellansé, have the power to act as bio-stimulators, increasing your skin's own collagen production. 

When should filler be used?

As we age, a number of processes within the body occur that result in depleted tissue volume and reduced skin structure, leading to creases, wrinkles and hollowed or sunken features.  By using filler, you can restore volume to depleted areas, smooth out wrinkles and improve facial definition, creating a rejuvenated and more youthful appearance. 

In addition to being a highly effective anti-aging tool, filler can be used to enhance your natural features, correct facial asymmetry and refine facial structure, creating balance and definition.

So what’s the difference between good and bad filler?

Undeniably ‘bad filler’ is a bit of a subjective term and we’re using it here to cover a wide range of results from the slightly ‘too obvious’ (the end of the spectrum that might be open to debate), through to the downright dangerous (where there’s probably not much to argue about).  

So let’s start with good filler.  Good filler should be subtle.  And natural.  And enhancing rather than altering.  It is a truly incredible tool in the right hands, capable of creating beautiful and transformative results.  Done right, these results should leave people thinking you look incredibly well but not quite able to put their finger on why.

Bad filler, on the other hand, leaves no room for doubt.  When done wrong, filler can create extreme results, with features pushed beyond the realms of what nature could ever achieve, and can include a variety of unappealing outcomes, such as lumps and bumps, facial asymmetry, migration and distortion.  When done very wrong, the consequences can be dangerous and severe.

With that in mind, it’s quite easy to understand why you see so much ‘bad’ filler around, and yet feel like you never see any good filler.  It’s because you SEE bad filler, it’s its own walking advertisement.  Whereas good filler, by its very nature, goes under the radar.  When it’s done right, you shouldn’t know you’re seeing it!      

How to get it right

Natural filler results from Elevate Medical Aesthetics

The most important step you can take to achieve the results you want is choosing the right practitioner.

Despite recent moves to introduce a stricter framework, in the UK currently there is no legal requirement or license to determine who can and cannot administer filler injections.  This means filler can be injected by an unlicensed individual with no relevant medical or anatomical training. 

In contrast to this, any medical professional performing aesthetic techniques such as filler, must comply with strict regulations enforced by their governing body, meaning they are not only more qualified to perform the treatment by virtue of their profession, but are held to much higher standards.

The right practitioner will discuss your goals at length, giving you the time and information you need to decide on the right treatment for you.  They’ll be able to answer any questions you have, and will be able to explain the technique, including how any risks are minimised and any post procedure care that should be followed.  If you get the impression that your chosen practitioner isn’t able to do any of this, it’s probably wise to find one who can.

And if it has gone wrong…

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to get results you’re not happy with, all is not lost.  The right practitioner may be able to offer corrective adjustments and solutions to improve the final outcome.  

So I can avoid bad filler?

Bad filler is certainly not inevitable.  In fact the wonderful results of good filler are all around us, most of us just don’t know it.  At Elevate we love filler, because we see first hand the fantastic results that can be achieved when it’s used properly, results that are in many cases impossible to get without it.  As with most procedures, the risk of complications cannot be completely eliminated, but in the hands of the right practitioner it is an incredibly safe and effective treatment.  

At Elevate we offer a number of filler options, all performed by Dr Nick Sinden, a leading expert in non-surgical facial rejuvenation with over a decade of experience in the aesthetic industry.  Our treatment plans are always tailored to the patient in front of us, and we pride ourselves on providing a service that you can put your full trust in. Hear what one of clients has to say about her filler and aesthetics journey with Elevate, and see how natural and transformative the results can be.

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