For a long time, fillers have been used to stretch the tissues under the skin, which can speed up the aging process. According to Andrew Jacono, a Park Avenue facial plastic surgeon, this is because these tissues won't be able to bounce back as easily as you age. Fillers add volume to certain areas by drawing in water, but if used excessively, they can cause the skin to stretch over time. However, when done correctly, fillers should not stretch the skin but instead improve the area.
The results of fillers can never be predicted with 100% accuracy, but having the right doctor can help to avoid any negative side effects and achieve desirable results. It's also important to make sure that the filler has completely disappeared, as it may not always disintegrate completely. Overusing fillers on the chin can distort facial balance and make the lower third of the face look square instead of heart-shaped, which is associated with youth. Ironically, fillers can often age you because when exaggerated, they accumulate on the body and migrate out of the target area, leading to sagging and distortion.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers were originally intended to give some facial fullness to those who had lost volume due to extreme weight loss, drug use or illness. HA fillers last up to 18 months and when dissolved, they can leave behind an inflammatory reaction and capsule formation. When too much filler is placed in one area, it has to go somewhere and often migrates southwards, causing sagging. Other options included permanent fillers based on cement products, but this combination of unnatural texture and having to wait for collagen injections meant that they weren't as popular 15 or 20 years ago.
It takes months or years for the filler to dissolve (and sometimes it doesn't dissolve at all) and if you keep getting more injections, you just fill your face with more gel. Fortunately, most fillers on the market require low maintenance so some of the worst fears people have about long-term use are unfounded. A little padding may remain in place but when the scale is tilted, which happens easily, the filler has to go somewhere.
