1) They are unregulated in the UK

Dermal fillers are completely unregulated and can be bought without a prescription, meaning potentially anyone can buy them and start injecting them. Medically trained professionals should be the only ones to administer fillers as they have the appropriate medical knowledge should something go wrong. Increasingly more and more beauticians are carrying out these procedures with sometimes disastrous consequences. Industry leaders are currently lobbying to change this.

2) Some fillers are made from animals

Did you know that fillers used to be made from the skin of cows and also from pigs. Thankfully nowadays temporary fillers are the most common type of filler and are made from hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring sugar molecule found in the body and so less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

3) Dentists are one of the best professions to inject fillers

Dentists have studied the head and neck region in depth and give injections into the mouth on a daily basis. They also have the appropriate knowledge should any adverse reactions occur.

4) It can be virtually pain free

It can be achieved in a virtually painless manner using skin numbing cream or local anaesthetic dental blocks. Those patients who report pain during procedures were probably not given a dental block.

5) Requires artistry

Filler requires artistic skills and you may want to research your practitioner’s website page for images of before and after treatments they have performed or check their social media accounts. As we are often recreating lost volume or restoring anatomical features an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the face is critical. Correct proportions should be followed and when they are not followed it can be easy to recognise who has had filler treatment