Those who keep up with cosmetic skin care trends or Hollywood gossip probably know a good deal about dermal filler, probably from the massive lip injection uptick last year and the slew of doctors who now use Instagram as their own personal treatment clip reels.
Our view has always been simple: It's your body, your choice. Still, it's hard not to express a bit of shock when we hear about the latest places docs are injecting with hyaluronic acid fillers: think hands, forearms, and noses. And those are just the tip of the iceberg.
"You can inject cellulite dimples or the indentation above the belly button," Karyn Grossman, MD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist tells us. "You can really inject filler all over the face ad body in different ways and places to achieve different things." As one of the leading doctors in her field, Dr. Grossman works with celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Linda Evangelista and is often the MD credited in industry inner circles as the person to see for no-one-will-notice undereye filler (another big trend).
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Now, we certainly aren't saying you need filler, but a chat with Grossman does make our imaginations run wild with what the future might look like. A taste of the more unusual places she fills, below.
The Ears
"Just as the rest of you gets a little saggy and a little less firm, your earlobes do, too," Dr. Grossman says, noting that this is a particularly popular procedure among actresses who are blessed (or cursed, depending on whom you ask) with the need to wear large, heavy earrings both on the red carpet and on set. Read: A little filler makes your jewels hang just right. "It helps to provide support and structure around the hole, so you get less of that pull down," she adds.
"Just as the rest of you gets a little saggy and a little less firm, your earlobes do, too," Dr. Grossman says, noting that this is a particularly popular procedure among actresses who are blessed (or cursed, depending on whom you ask) with the need to wear large, heavy earrings both on the red carpet and on set. Read: A little filler makes your jewels hang just right. "It helps to provide support and structure around the hole, so you get less of that pull down," she adds.
How long it lasts, however, is different for everyone. "All areas metabolise at different rates, and there are so many different fillers out there, that all areas fade differently, but this will last for a really long time," Dr. Grossman says. "You'll get about two years, maybe, with filler in the ears."
Hands & Forearms
"A lot of people do this — and sometimes we actually go all the way up the forearm," Dr. Grossman says. "You can start to see the vessels on the hands as people age, it kind of starts at the fingers and moves up, so we'll put fillers in the hands and sometimes in the forearm."
"A lot of people do this — and sometimes we actually go all the way up the forearm," Dr. Grossman says. "You can start to see the vessels on the hands as people age, it kind of starts at the fingers and moves up, so we'll put fillers in the hands and sometimes in the forearm."
Nipples
"I have had several unusual requests from women who want filler in their nipples," Dr. Grossman says. "Mostly because they're filming something and they want to see the nipple a little bit, or they think that their partner likes it, because filler makes the nipple a little more erect."
"I have had several unusual requests from women who want filler in their nipples," Dr. Grossman says. "Mostly because they're filming something and they want to see the nipple a little bit, or they think that their partner likes it, because filler makes the nipple a little more erect."
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Scalp
"We're getting a little bit more creative when doing injections in the scalp area," Dr. Grossman says. Why the scalp? It lifts and pulls the skin up, she says.
"We're getting a little bit more creative when doing injections in the scalp area," Dr. Grossman says. Why the scalp? It lifts and pulls the skin up, she says.
"The hollow in the temple area, that can extend all the way to the scalp, so you can actually inject a little bit in the hairline to help elevate people's brows a little bit," she says. "Think about a headband, but more it forward. So you can use filler in those areas to lift and anchor the skin back a little bit, and give a little lifting in those areas."
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The injection is a thousand times more painful than what you experience being in high heels. Ridiculous.
-Dr. Karyn Grossman
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Cellulite Dimples
This one is simple: You can inject dimples with just a touch of filler to raise and even the skin. The more you know...
This one is simple: You can inject dimples with just a touch of filler to raise and even the skin. The more you know...
Belly Button
"Some people have indents above their belly button, so sometimes we'll inject those," Dr. Grossman says. It's also one of the areas that will get you a lot of staying power. "Probably a year or two," she says.
"Some people have indents above their belly button, so sometimes we'll inject those," Dr. Grossman says. It's also one of the areas that will get you a lot of staying power. "Probably a year or two," she says.
Undereyes
"I inject under the eyes of almost every patient that comes in," she says. "The nice thing about undereye filler is it lasts a really long time. And the younger you are when you start, the better. When you start to get that indentation, that's the time to start thinking about it, because then you only need a tiny drop. I find that those patients in particular can get six or eight years out of it."
"I inject under the eyes of almost every patient that comes in," she says. "The nice thing about undereye filler is it lasts a really long time. And the younger you are when you start, the better. When you start to get that indentation, that's the time to start thinking about it, because then you only need a tiny drop. I find that those patients in particular can get six or eight years out of it."
The No-No's
No, this isn't a new name for your nipples — we're talking about the spots that Dr. Grossman vetoes. On the list? The labia, the bottom of the feet, and the chest. The former makes the list specifically because the vulva is not her expertise. "I don't know a lot of safety data on that yet," she says.
No, this isn't a new name for your nipples — we're talking about the spots that Dr. Grossman vetoes. On the list? The labia, the bottom of the feet, and the chest. The former makes the list specifically because the vulva is not her expertise. "I don't know a lot of safety data on that yet," she says.
And she puts her foot down when it comes to feet. "People talk about injecting the bottom of their feet so [they have padding and] heels are more comfortable, but I have to call bullshit," she says. "The amount of pain to inject the whole bottom of your foot with filler? The injection is a thousand times more painful than what you experience being in high heels. Ridiculous."
Finally, the chest: Dr. Grossman says that this is a heavily-requested area by individuals who find theirs too crepe-y or boney, but she says the science isn't there yet. "I don't love [doing it]," she says, "because it can leave lumps in people. However, you can dilute it down with a little saline." Luckily for those that want the procedure, we're almost there. "There will be HA fillers coming to the U.S. soon that are more liquid-y," she says. "So you can inject and they're kind of float under the skin as a way to thicken it up. It's a few years down the road."