How risky are dermal fillers in temples?

Fillers in the temple area can be a great way to improve an overall more youthful appearance when addressing facial volume loss as we age.Fillers can be done safely in the temple area by a trained medical professional who is very familiar with the blood vessel anatomy in that area. Temple filler can either be injected deep against the bone with a needle, being sure to bypass any blood vessels. The other option is to use a cannula (blunt needle) which has a lower chance of piercing a blood vessel. Either way, if done carefully and with full awareness of each vessel's location throughout the procedure, temple filler can be a safe and effective way to restore facial volume. For a more permanent result, another option is a fat transfer. This procedure involves the patient's own fat from another area being injected into the temple area. If choosing the fat transfer route, a plastic surgeon would likely be the best option.

Whenever you ask about fillers and risk, the hands behind the syringe must always be considered. Aside from that, different fillers have a propensity for different complications, so this should be discussed with your doctor. Hope this helps! Dr Joseph

The temples are an area that are often overlooked when treating with fillers, but can make a huge difference when filled correctly. Non of the dermal fillers are FDA approved in the US for filling temples but, this procedure is routinely performed "off label". The risk of vascular occlusion is real and it goes for injections anywhere. The safest way to inject fillers in the temples with a needle is to inject deep and on the bone where the risk of injecting a blood vessel is very minimal. The other way to inject into the temple is to use a cannula. A cannula is a blunt needle. The end of the cannula is not sharp so if injected carefully, the risk of cannulating a blood vessel is very small. I like to use a thicker cannula which is even less likely to break through a blood vessel than a thin cannula. I also prefer to use fat or PMMA which are more permanent so that you don't have to keep repeating the procedure.

There is some risk but it can be minimised by injecting onto the periosteum and aspiration or using a softer filler and canulla and injecting superficially.

Filler into the temples can have beautiful rejuvenating results. I only use a cannula in the temple due to the presence of blood vessels. It is important that you find an advanced and experienced injector as incorrect injection in this area can have severe complications.