Overfilled society: tackling the filler blind EPIDEMIC
with Sarah Louise(RGN, PGCert, INP) SLA Medical.
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Recent years have seen a vast influx of overuse, misuse and dangerous use of cheaper and untested cosmetic injectables. Society has normalized extreme looks and with ‘overfiller’ appearances. Following a recent case study on a social media influencer, I was forced to think about how we can minimize the dangers and long-term effects we are hurtling towards in our filler blind.
Companies such as Merz Aesthetics provide clinical studies and educational tools ensuring the safety and aesthetics outcomes of their products. Their BELOTERO® HA fillers give a natural looking result, and harmonised result without compromising longevity. Also, BELOTERO® products generate a low immune response and integrate uniformly with the dermal tissue2, 3. This is vital for reducing complications and combatting that elephant tracking ‘filler blind’, as the aesthetic public sees as they walk through our ‘overfilled society’. With BELOTERO® as my medium, I have created the SLA Dissove and Design Protocol to enhance how we assess, diagnose and treat patients to keep filler blind at bay.
WHAT IS FILLER BLIND?
‘Filler Blind’ refers to facial overfilled syndrome; an epidemic of psychological reasons and behaviours based on our society’s acceptation and overdose of dermal fillers; consequently, rejecting natural facial features, individual identity and typical natural beauty as no longer present.
Over the past five years, I have seen an increased presentation of puffy, overfilled, and unideal aesthetic outcomes. Although practitioners and industry provide strong, suitable evidence in treating patients holistically and with natural, subtle enhancements, I observe an alarming amount of acceptance and requests for this desired overfilled look.
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF FILLER BLIND?
The misuse and overuse of dermal filler has created a culture of ‘overdone’ as normal. Propagating mental health conditions like body dysmorphia, many influencer patients of mine have disclosed the pressures of social media and how it has pushed them to want increasingly more cosmetic interventions. “In my eyes, social media definitely intensifies a sense of inferiority, forcing people, forcing patients to make impulsive and potentially irrational decisions around cosmetic procedures.”
We face an oversaturation of dermal fillers on the market; cheaper fillers have a reduced chance of clinical dynamic evidence now proven natural facial function. Looking studies can advise severe consequences to a patient’s health. Particular causative and technologies in modified HA fillers may cause unpredictable reactions and impair outcomes. Always ensure a dermal filler is approved by the regulatory body in your country of practice and its safety and efficacy is clinically proven.
At SLA Medical, we use BELOTERO® for the majority of our patients. The reduced inflammation with BELOTERO® means my patients don’t chase the ‘swollen look’ and are satisfied with a soft and natural filler for both the ageing face and beautification.
WHY HAVE WE BECOME NORMALISED TO THESE RESULTS?
We are an era of appearance as an example of how humans are born by epigenauty already encoded in our brains, with many top tiered authorities scrutinizing that epigenetical developmental stages pass. Furthermore, literature studies identify the perception of more ‘made up’ individuals as more attractive, versus those wearing less or no make-up. The prevalence of social media profiles further highlights the hunger for this perfected, flawless face. Is this why we are chasing a more pronounced, elevated, choosing augmented over enhanced?
Do patients see these overfilled results as ‘normal’ from celebrities, influencers, marketing and social media? Or is it an adaptation, safety, and relative normality?
THE SLA DISSOLVE AND DESIGN PROTOCOL
Over years of facing distorted and unnatural filler, I created an innovative protocol pathway to tackle this epidemic. This protocol allows consistent ethical outcomes for all patients and informs how to assess, diagnose and treat within the framework to protect patient and practitioner from perpetuating ‘filler blind’ culture. Assessing 4 assessments PATIENTS’ FUNDAMENTALS.
I. Plan with Your Patients: Physiologically assess their medical history, previous cosmetic treatments, skincare, stress, and supreme well-being. Identify how patient understands your treatment philosophy on aesthetics, the journey. Get involved with their consult’s life and follow up to truly understand your patient’s issues.
II. Formulate with Your Patients: Have reviews sessions 6 months into their journey to check and ensure you’re both involved in decision making.
III. Create a Treatment Plan: Too often we see practitioners providing one-off treatments that don’t address the concern or contradict completely. Educate your patient about your future relationship, the lifecycle.
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There is a strong argument in medical aesthetics, suggesting many practitioners are guided by the patient’s emotional desires rather than advocating for their overall best interests. We are the leaders and influencers of social access, educate and treat based on safety, ethics and professional excellence and expertise. In a world that applauds excess and pressures for the ‘perfect’ look, we need to use our thorough experience and qualifications to preserve natural, individual beauty.
