Why Dermal Fillers Are Big With 20-Somethings

Dermal fillers are mainly used to treat volume loss and to smooth wrinkles or creases that happen due to aging. These fillers have become especially popular with 20-somethings. Even though women in their 20s have smooth skin and hardly a wrinkle in sight, the use of fillers among this age group has increased by nearly a third since 2009 (according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

According to many doctors, young women use dermal fillers to “improve” their facial features and to look like their favorite celebrities they see on social media such as Kylie Jenner. Women of all ages tend to see fillers as a safe way to alter certain aspects of their facial features. Fillers such as Juvéderm and Restylane are made with hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring substance in the body. Therefore, they are moderately safe and allergy tests are not needed prior to injections. Furthermore, most of these fillers will naturally dissolve between 6 to 12 months or the effects can be reversed with an enzyme injection. For these reasons, dermal fillers have become very appealing to women in their 20s.

Dermal fillers can provide a means to smoother skin and a more youthful appearance while:

• Augmenting the cheeks to enhance their shape
• Smoothing out the deep creases of the nasolabial folds (smile lines) by adding volume
• Plumping thin lips
• Smoothing out the vertical lines around the edges of the lips which older people and smokers acquire
• Filling indented scars from acne or chicken pox
• Increasing volume in the lower cheeks or temple regions that may appear boney
• Filling-in depressions or a hollow appearance in the orbital area
• Enhancing the nose and chin for a more prominent or masculine look
• Increasing volume in the neck lost with age which is causing loose looking skin

Dermal fillers can be performed in the doctor’s office. The entire procedure can be performed in as little as 15 minutes. However, multiple injection sites may take as long as an hour. No matter how much time it takes, filler treatments generally require little to no recovery or downtime. Plus, FDA-approved fillers have minimal risks or complications when performed by a certified doctor who is adequately skilled with dermal fillers and facial anatomy. The ease of use, as well as the minimal treatment time, make fillers easy to fit into the busy work lifestyle of a 20-something.

However, the 20-something crowd does need to be careful. Since fillers are easily administered, many people who are not certified or adequately skilled will attempt to perform the injections to turn a profit. One potential problem occurs when a doctor without proper training uses the amount of filler for a 60-year-old on a person in their 20s. The 20-year-old may end up looking like a chipmunk because the older woman has less fullness in the face that the 20-ish person still has in abundance. In addition, improper injections of dermal fillers have the potential to create side effects and health-related complications. The FDA has warned about soft-tissue fillers being improperly injected and causing a host of conditions including a stroke and blindness. Always visit a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon before undergoing any type of filler treatment.

-SP