A Peek Into The Wacky World Of Fillers

Ever envied Kylie Jenner's full pout or JLo's eternally youthful skin? Maybe they were born with it or, more likely, maybe it's fillers. Unlike the days when a surgical nip and tuck needed bed rest away from the world, fillers have made the process safer and swifter. So what are fillers and why are they so popular? We spoke to Dr. Kiran Lohia, American board-certified dermatologist and founder of Lumiere Dermatology to know more about it.

So what exactly are fillers?

"Fillers are an injectable solution of sugar molecules that fill the soft tissue under the skin to enhance its appearance," explains Dr. Lohia. In recent times, they have seen a surge in popularity. The middle and upper classes are increasingly becoming more aware of it and a large reason for this is its celebrity clientele. "Celebrities like the Kardashians have normalised fillers to a great extent and made it more acceptable in society. While it is slowly catching speed in India, over the west and Asia, it's fairly routine," says Dr. Lohia.

 

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So what are people looking to treat when they choose such fillers?

"Fillers can work in a couple of ways. First is to correct skin problems like under eye circles, forehead lines, wrinkles around your lips and even the cushioning of your feet. Second is to enhance your features and fill your lips, shape your nose, make your cheekbones prominent and even give you a higher brow," informs Dr. Lohia. The possibilities of fillers are limitless.

But while many may consider it a quick fix for a brand new face, Dr. Lohia advises otherwise - "Fillers are meant to enhance your natural features to create a better version of yourself. Opting for a totally new appearance stems from insecurities, which a good doctor wouldn't advise."

While we're all aware of botox, it can be confused with fillers. So how is it different?

"Botox paralyzes static muscles at areas like that of the forehead and mouth and reduce motion in that area. Fillers work on static muscle and don't affect motion in any way - one won't even know they're there", explains Dr. Lohia.

So how do you figure out what filler works for you?

"There are varieties of fillers of specific grades which contain different solutions like hyaluronic acid for each purpose. For example, there's a filler especially for hydrating the skin. Those dewy faces of celebrities without makeup are sometimes the result of it," says Dr. Lohia. With so many plus points for fillers, are there any negatives to using them? Not really. "The downtime required is just a day or two with slight swelling and maybe a bruise. It's easily tolerated by most skin types but I always avoid active rashes and irritation. Fillers are also reversible, which makes it all the better", concludes Dr. Lohia.