Can Fillers Be Preventative? Here's What Dermatologists Say

Jennifer Larson
·6 min read
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Here's what to know.

When you look in the mirror and notice a few lines or other signs of aging, do you embrace it happily, just sigh and accept it or do you resolve to stop those signs of aging as soon as possible?

If you’re the kind of person who chooses dermal fillers to halt or reverse the signs of aging, you’re in good company. Fillers are gel-like substances that are injected under your skin to plump up or add volume to various parts of your face.

And lots of people get dermal fillers. According to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), about 3.4 million soft filler tissue procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2020. This type of procedure was the second most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedure performed by plastic surgeons.

Some of those people are getting fillers to try to prevent the signs of aging from ever appearing at all.

“We can’t prevent aging with injections or skin care,” says Dr. Savina Aneja, MD, a dermatologist who practices at Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in Orlando, Florida. “But we can use these tools to prevent the signs of aging from becoming as apparent.”

Who's Getting Fillers?

To gauge if some people seem to be getting fillers preventively, look at the ages of people who get fillers. They’re not all older people. Younger people get fillers too. According to the ASPS 2020 data:

  • 87,353 soft filler procedures were performed on people between 20 and 29 in 2020, according to the ASPS. Nearly 70,000 were hyaluronic acid fillers.

  • 348,180 soft filler procedures were performed in the 30-39 age group in 2020, and nearly 300,000 of those were hyaluronic acid fillers.

  • 1,511,696 soft filler procedures were performed on people between the ages of 40 and 54. Over 1.3 million were hyaluronic acid fillers.

The numbers may be higher now too. The 2020 numbers were actually smaller than expected, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020, but the number of people seeking cosmetic procedures began to rebound in 2021.

Related: Botox and Fillers Are Both Popular Procedures—So Which One's Right for You? Dermatologists Explain

Fillers for Prejuvenation

Can fillers actually prevent you from aging? Not exactly. You’re going to age no matter what you do, and fillers can’t prevent that. As Dr. Eric Chang wrote in a column for the ASPS, “They are not a fountain of youth.”

“I personally don’t believe that fillers can be used as a preventative measure, and if they can, it would only be with a very minor effect,” says Dr. Ari Hoschander, MD, a plastic surgeon with KH Plastic Surgery in New York. “I typically don’t inject fillers as a preventive treatment as they do little to actually prevent the aging of the skin.”

However, other doctors say they’re willing to talk to patients about what fillers-as-preventative-treatment can achieve. For example, fillers can stave off some of the effects of aging and keep you looking younger for a longer period of time. They can delay the formation of some wrinkles and lines that make you look older and restore some lost volume in your face. Some call this proactive effort “prejuvenation.”

“Injectable fillers can be used preventatively to delay the inevitable signs of aging that everyone will have,” says Dr. Corey L. Hartman, MD, dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama. “If a patient has concerns about a certain area of their face, I like to discuss it with them early to understand their motivation and set expectations as to what we can realistically accomplish.”

It might depend on what type of filler you’re considering too. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers tend to be the most commonly used type of filler, but there are several other options available.

Related: Fillers Are One of the Most Effective Ways to Make Acne Scars Less Noticeable—Here's What to Know About Them

For example, Dr. Hartman says, someone might be interested in a bio-stimulatory filler like Sculptra and Radiesse, which can stimulate collagen production over time to keep their appearance looking the same. Dr. Hoschander also recommends Sculptra occasionally to improve and strengthen skin quality and collagen production.

One thing to consider: if you start getting fillers preventatively and like the effect, you’ll need to keep it up to maintain your appearance.

“If they stop doing fillers, the prevention train just stops, and the aging process kicks back in, but it starts again at that point,” says Dr. Hartman.

You may have to weigh the benefit against the cost. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of a syringe of hyaluronic acid fillers is $684. That’s less than the cost of many other types of fillers, such as polylactic acid, which costs an average of $853. As the ASPS notes, some people may need multiple syringes to achieve the youthful, refreshed appearance they’re going for.

However, Dr. Aneja notes, fillers do vary widely in how long the effects last.

“Some patients will go years between treatments if we select the correct filler and injection technique,” she says. “Many patients I treat with undereye filler need additional treatment after 18 months. However, in some locations like the lips, you may need more volume replacement at nine to 11 months.”

Related: Dermatologists Reveal the Best Way To Make a Pimple Disappear Overnight

What Else Can You Do for Aging Prevention?

If you decide that fillers are not for you, you do still have other options.

“If you are interested in preventing wrinkles, the most important thing you can do right now for limited cost is to wear sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every single day,” says Dr. Hartman. “Sun exposure is the leading cause of accelerated skin aging, which results in fine lines, wrinkles and sunspots.”

Dr. Hoschander says that he recommends early Botox injections to prevent wrinkles in the areas where Botox is considered appropriate, like the forehead and crow’s feet. “I also recommend to all my patients a good regimen of topical skin care products and energy-based treatments such as lasers and radiofrequency micro-needling,” he adds.

However, you can still try fillers even if you already have some lines, wrinkles or volume loss as a result of aging. It’s not too late to try fillers (or other treatments) but talk to your doctor first about your options—and your expectations.

“I have many patients who come in and wish they started treatments years ago, but I tell them that the past is the past—you can’t undo it, so you just have to look to the future,” says Dr. Hartman.

Next up: Thinking About Getting Fillers? Here's Everything You Need to Know About How Long They Last

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