Temple Filler: The Unsung Hero of Cosmetic Treatments

What are the temples?

For those of us who suffer with headaches - or particularly stressful days - we’ve all sat there and massaged our temples, right? They sit to the side of the tail ends of our eyebrows, and are the flat areas just above the top of our cheekbones.

Known medically as the temporal region, this area starts to typically lose volume from our twenties, but it’s not usually until in our thirties and beyond that this volume loss becomes noticeable. And, as I mentioned above, a lot of the time, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the issue is - we just just know that something is different and is making us look tired.

Temporal hollowing: What’s the issue?

Well, the more volume we lose around the temples, the more of a peanut effect it gives to the outline of our faces. You know, that wider at the top, with a dip in the middle, then wider at the bottom appearance of a peanut in its shell. Sciency description, I know. But you get the point. And the older we get, the more apparent this becomes, really emphasising our skull shape underneath. It’s also believed that temporal wasting occurs more noticeably in slim women and in those who clench their jaw - and if you clench now, you’ll notice the pressure this puts on your temples.

Many people are not able to pinpoint what it is about their face that they’d like to work on, but often, practitioners will spot this volume loss in the temples and will suggest temple fillers - dermal fillers in the temple area.

What does temple filler do? And who might be a good candidate?

So, where is temple filler placed, and what does it actually do? Temple filler treatment involves injecting dermal filler into the temples to increase volume in and around the area. By replacing lost volume with filler, this can give subtle yet amazing results which can transform the face.

Dr Bawa explains, “volume loss in temples is often not something that a patient will necessarily notice. They just come in knowing that they look tired, and they often come in with completely different ideas of what they need. That’s why it’s so important to first understand what they’re looking for.”

He continues, “it’s the people who come in looking tired, with drooping eyes or saggy brows who would benefit from temple filler, because the fat in the temple area has basically shrunk, and the skin has fallen down and forward. Placing filler along the cheek bone and the temple helps stretch the skin back and open up the eye. It’s a really subtle but effective treatment that gives brightness back to the face.”

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Dr Land agrees, saying, “temple filler is a hugely undervalued treatment. People do that thing where they walk into your clinic and put their fingers on their hairline, usually around the temples, push it all back a couple of centimetres and say ‘can you do this?’ Well placed temple fillers using different techniques will both do exactly that and revolumise the temple hollow will give the whole face a lift.”

He explains, “When I’m teaching new injectors about how to give lift, we always say start at the top and work your way down, and when educating patients it's the same. Drooping jowls start from the top of the face, as the whole tissue layers descend. Lifting a small amount in each place gives a much better, more harmonious result than trying to get masses of lift in one place.”

Choosing a good aesthetic practitioner is key

Due to the complexity of temple filler treatment, you should be careful to choose a medically qualified practitioner who knows exactly what they are doing and who has a great understanding of anatomy.

Dr Bawa says, “temple filler can be a dangerous treatment because of the arterial supply to the area. There’s a risk of dermal filler passing back through arteries at the back of the eye. So, you have to really have a good technique and be confident doing that particular treatment.” He explains, “the most important thing is to educate patients on who they should see. Looking for someone who actually has the correct credentials to be performing this type of treatment but is also able to recognise and manage complications is essential. Not just someone who, when you approach them with an issue, says ‘I’m sure it’s just a bruise. Come back in a few weeks. It’ll settle down.’ Because that could be a disaster.”

If you're considering temple filler, make sure you see a medically qualified practitioner with tonnes of experience with this treatment. You can search for one now on Glowday.