Botox & Fillers- How Much Is Too Much?

As we age, we lose facial volume resulting in laxity of the skin and deepening of facial lines and wrinkles. A loss in facial volume can be replaced by fillers in order to achieve a more youthful appearance. In addition, fillers can also be used to “fill in” deeper lines such as the nasolabial folds and marionette lines, the temples, lower eyelids, cheeks, lips, nose, chin, and along the jawline.

Facial filler and Botox have become a must-have in today’s world. According to the latest plastic surgery statistics report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were approximately 7.4 million injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) and 2.6 million dermal filler injections in 2018.

The rise of smartphone cameras, selfies, and now video calls has meant more focus on our faces than ever which has also led to an increase in analysing every line and wrinkle on our faces. In addition to the endless anti-ageing products on the market that can help treat these lines, there is a quicker option- facial injectables, that is, Botox and fillers.

What is Botox?
Botox, or Botulinum toxin, is a neurotoxin that temporarily paralyses the muscle that it is injected into, therefore reducing the wrinkling and pulling of the overlying skin. It is used to treat dynamic wrinkles, which are wrinkles and lines seen when one animates their face. Botox itself is a specific brand of neurotoxin; others include Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau.

What are fillers?
Fillers are injectable gels that function to add volume in the areas of the skin that have sunken in. When you see folds, crevices, creases, or crinkles, different fillers of various consistency can be used to replace the volume, correct the deficit and give a plumper look. We all know too much of everything is bad, and this applies to facial injectables too. It is advised that people who resort to facial injectables should aim for a natural appearance. Using too many facial injectables may result in making you look like a mannequin with a frozen face. The outcome will appear unnatural, puffy and “plastic”. This is not the look or result you want to achieve.We’re here to get into the nitty-gritty details about each of these injectables, including their pros and cons.

The Pillow Face
The Pillow Face results from overfilling in the cheeks and under the eyes. Full cheeks are associated with youthfulness. However, the use of too much filler results in overly puffy cheeks which look unnatural and inappropriate for their age. The pursuit of the “apple cheeks” have also contributed to this syndrome.

An Avatar Nose
For filler rhinoplasty, there is a tendency to do too much, especially on the bridge. This obliterates the nasofrontal angle (the angle between the forehead and the nose), resulting in an unnaturally high and broad nose bridge – like the blue Navi aliens in the film “Avatar”.

A Bulging Forehead
Our foreheads, with the underlying bony skull, have natural contours – such as the eyebrow ridge. Unfortunately, in a person who has had too much filler injected into this region, their temples become rounded making them look like they are about to burst. Nothing screams “I’ve had fillers” more than overly round facial contours.
A Witch’s Chin
A prominent, well-defined chin helps make a face more V-shaped and adds balance to the face. However, injecting too much filler into the chin will leave the patient with an overly pointy and sharp chin which can resemble a witch’s chin.

Bony Cheekbones
The Kardashians have taken contouring makeup too extreme – so why not create that highlight and shadow without makeup? When fillers are performed correctly, they can shape a patient’s cheekbones, giving them more structure and definition. However, when executed wrongly, they can create cheekbones that overly protrude resulting in a face that looks somewhat distorted or out of proportion.

Filler fatigue
Filler works by inflating a pocket or space under the skin. Once the filler is gone (whether absorbed back into the body or chemically dissolved), that space will become empty, leaving the tissues in a more stretched-out position. Over time, the filler can also stretch and weigh down the skin.

This can lead to the need for more filler to be used in subsequent treatments. In recent times, we’ve had celebrities opting for a more natural look. Former “Islander” star, Molly-Mae Hague, stunned her fans when she revealed she had made the decision to dissolve her fillers.

Speaking on her YouTube channel, she stated, ‘’over the last few months I’ve really noticed how unnatural my lips look, after years of going to different people I ended up with botched lips… and I want to tone things down.” A few years ago, Hollywood actressCourteney Cox revealed that “I’ve had all my fillers dissolved. I’m as natural as I can be. I feel better because I look like myself. I think that I now look more like the person I was.”