Filler begone.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians produced many a culturally-iconic moment over its 14-year run. Think Kim’s meltdown after losing her diamond earring in the ocean, Khloé being driven to jail while Kim takes selfies and Kylie confessing she’d had lip fillers after repeatedly denying she had.

This fateful 2015 admission helped spark a meteoric rise in the popularity of dermal fillers, particularly for lip augmentation. Plenty of celebrities also jumped on the trend, and these skin-plumping injectables are now seemingly everywhere. 

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But with celebrities like reality TV star Charlotte Crosby recently revealing she’s had her lip filler dissolved, is the tide turning on fillers? Surgeons in the UK are reporting a rising number of people are getting their fillers dissolved, and the ‘lip filler dissolving’ hashtag on TikTok has been viewed 37.2 million times.

If you’re curious about filler removal and what the process involves, here’s the rundown. 

But first, what are fillers?

Dermal fillers are injectable implants used to help smooth and plump the skin. You might hear them referred to as simply ‘fillers’ or ‘injectables’. Fillers shouldn’t be confused with Botox, which is an injectable drug that ‘freezes’ muscles to minimise wrinkles.

Lip fillers have dominated headlines in recent years, but you can also get fillers in other parts of your face like your forehead, cheeks, chin and around the mouth. 

You may have heard of fillers made from hyaluronic acid, the same ingredient that’s become wildly popular in skincare. According to Dr Jenny Kim, this is one of the most popular types of filler.

Filler can also be made from calcium hydroxylapatite, poly-l-lactic acid or polymethylmethacrylate beads (try saying those three times fast). Because they’re not permanent, fillers can be an alternative to cosmetic surgery. They’re also less invasive. 

Why might some people want their filler removed?

The reasons someone might want their filler removed are varied and really depend on the person. Maybe you simply don’t want filler anymore, and you don’t want to wait until it diminishes on its own. Or perhaps you’ve had an adverse reaction to your filler and you’d rather have it removed.

You may want less volume, but you still like the look of having some filler. In that case, having part of your filler removed could do the trick.

How does filler removal work? 

First and foremost, make sure you get your filler dissolved with a qualified medical professional, like a cosmetic surgeon or a dermatologist. You can go back to the medical professional that did your filler initially to chat about what you’d like done.

Only hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved. If you have any other type of filler, you’ll have to wait until it subsides naturally or have them surgically removed if you don’t want to wait.

Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved with a concentrated synthetic form of an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which naturally occurs in our bodies. Your dermatologist or surgeon will inject the hyaluronidase near the site of your filler. 

The amount of hyaluronidase you’ll need will depend on what your medical professional recommends for the look you’re aiming for. It could take more than one session to achieve the results you want.

The procedure itself is pretty quick. Your practitioner will clean the area and then apply some numbing cream where the needle will go. After that, you’ll be injected with hyaluronidase. Once your filler has been dissolved, you should notice a difference pretty quickly. It can take a few days for the process to fully take effect.

Is having your filler dissolved safe?

As with any medical procedure, it’s a good idea to chat with your practitioner before you get your filler dissolved about any potential side effects.

Mild swelling and some bruising can occur for a couple of days after the procedure. According to the Victorian Cosmetic Institute, it’s possible for the skin to look more deflated after the filler is dissolved, but your body’s production of hyaluronic acid won’t be permanently affected.

Despite filler dissolving becoming increasingly commonplace, hyaluronidase is actually unregulated and unapproved for use in cosmetic procedures. Currently, it isn’t approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, meaning it’s used ‘off label’. This means that how the drug is used is up to the doctor you see for this procedure. Due to a lack of rigorous safety tests and clear industry guidelines, patients wanting filler removal have been injected with varying types and amounts of hyaluronidase which can result in adverse reactions.

A recent ABC article interviewed several people who have suffered severe side effects after having their filler removed with the drug, which highlights how important it is to only see a cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist you trust when undergoing this procedure.

According to a 2020 study, though, the chances that you’ll have a serious adverse reaction like anaphylaxis are slim. Your practitioner should do a patch test before they inject to make sure you can tolerate the hyaluronidase.

If you’re not happy at any point throughout the filler-dissolving process, speak up. Your health and safety are the priority, and you deserve to be fully satisfied with the results.

For more on filler removal, head here.