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Temple Filler Treatments: What You Need To Know

Written by Christa Tomc, DO, Board Certified Dermatologist on September 27, 2022 No Comments

temple filler treatment

With aging, the entire face tends to experience volume loss. This reduction in bone, fat, muscle, and other tissue can leave the face looking withered. The temples are especially at risk since they are naturally concave, like a peanut. Volume loss in this area can cause the eyes to look down-turned and tired. In the hands of an experienced injector, dermal fillers can reverse these effects.

Temple Aging Basics: How The Temples Age

As we age, collagen declines and soft tissue begins to thin. This waning structural support causes fat to migrate, resulting in a loss of volume. Most people don’t worry about their temples when looking in the mirror, but this area is particularly vulnerable to loss of volume with age.

Sunken temples can enhance the effects of aging in other areas of the face, too. Crow’s feet become more apparent, brows lose their definition, the hairline appears to recede, and cheeks appear hollowed.

Who is Most Prone to Temple Hollowing?

Anyone over the age of 35 is susceptible to loss of facial volume. Those with low body fat, however, are more likely to experience temple hollowing with age. In very rare cases, temporal wasting can occur as the result of poorly injected Botox.

What Benefits Can Temple Fillers Provide?

Sunken temples can be treated with dermal filler injections. The addition of volume in this area significantly impacts the overall face shape, providing a “lift” that can make the face appear more youthful.

  • Adding volume to the temples naturally softens the face
  • Eyes are lifted, brow lines extended, and foreheads appear less prominent
  • Temple filler can help eliminate fine lines and wrinkles

Injectable fillers are a relatively non-invasive, pain-free solution to volume loss that require little to no recovery time. Results are immediate, but they are not permanent. Ongoing touchups are required to maintain filler results over the long run.

Risks of Temple Fillers

Adding volume to the temples has benefits, but it can be risky. A high density of blood vessels makes this a difficult area in which to safely inject filler. When filler is accidentally injected into a blood vessel, it can block the flow of blood. Blocked blood vessels may lead to traveling clots or the death of nearby tissue. Vision loss can result if blood vessels supplying the eyes get damaged.

If you’re thinking of temple fillers, it’s important to visit a skilled, experienced injector to reduce the risk of side effects.

Potential Side Effects

Some side effects are common, last just a few hours or 1-2 days and resolve on their own. These common side effects include the following:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Bruising
  • Itching
  • Rash
  • Throbbing
  • Discomfort
  • Jaw Soreness

Jaw soreness arises because the temporal muscle connects to the muscles of the jaw. Swelling in the temples can make the jaw feel stiff. Temporarily, you might have difficulty opening and closing your mouth. Icing can reduce swelling and help these common symptoms more quickly dissipate.

Rare side effects include the following:

  • Infection
  • Filler that leaks from the injection site
  • Filler that migrates to other areas of the face
  • Growths, nodules or granuloma at the injection site
  • Thrombosis or embolism due to blood vessel blockage
  • Loss of vision due to blood vessel blockage
  • Death of tissue (necrosis) due to blood vessel blockage

Risk of the above side effects is minimized when you visit a well-trained, experienced injector.

How Temple Filler Treatments Are Performed

The technique your injector chooses will be based on your unique temple anatomy, as well as the product they are using and the intended results. Your doctor might choose to use a needle or a cannula.

By using a cannula, your doctor can inject the filler superficially, just under the surface of the skin. With a needle, injections can be placed more deeply, past blood vessels and muscle, closer to the bone.

Whatever your injector chooses, the area will first be numbed with a local anesthetic. The in-office procedure generally takes less than 30 minutes.

Which Fillers Are Approved For The Temples?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any dermal fillers for use in the temples. Use of dermal fillers in the temples is considered an ‘off-label’ use. For this reason, it’s especially important to seek a professional, experienced provider.

Varying types of filler are used in the temples, often in combination. The type of filler your doctor chooses will depend on the volume needed, the specific shape of your temples, and the desired results.

  • Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane and Juvederm offer natural looking results that slowly fade over time as the filler becomes reabsorbed by the body. They can sometimes reabsorb unevenly, leading to a bumpy appearance in the temples that requires more frequent touch-ups.
  • Non-HA fillers such as Sculptra or Radiesse last longer and may work better when more volume is needed. However, they are not reversible, so it’s even more important to work with an expert provider who’s familiar with these fillers.

After Care Basics

Practicing after care basics can reduce the risk of complications and improve your results. After your injections, follow these tips:

  • Avoid intense exercise or sweating for 48 hours
  • Try not to touch your temples until swelling and discomfort has subsided
  • Gently clean the area with mild soap once per day for 3 days
  • Avoid sleeping on your temples or your side for 2-3 days

Christa Tomc, DO

Christa Tomc, DO, earned her medical degree at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and subsequently completed her internship at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, serving as resident liaison of her intern class. Dr. Tomc’s interests include detection and prevention of skin cancer and premature photo-aging. Dr. Tomc is a member of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, American Osteopathic Association, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, Women’s Dermatologic Society, Texas Dermatologic Society, Texas Medical Association, and Dallas-Fort Worth Dermatologic Society.


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