The use of dermal filler treatments is up 8 percent, according to a recent American Society of Plastic Surgeons study. However, the number of celebrities who are sharing their decision to avoid or dissolve facial rejuvenation procedures is also on the rise.
For example, in a 2024 TikTok video, Olivia Culpo admitted to having filler in her lip but no longer having injections in her jaw or forehead.
“A lot of people will say I got buccal fat removal because my face is more sunken in now than it was 10, 12 years ago,” said Culpo, who has since married San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
John Hopkins Medicine refers to buccal fat removal, also known as cheek fat removal, as a procedure used to create a slimmer-looking face in the lower cheek area.
“My patients want to look natural,” Dr. Patrick Davis told The Epoch Times. “Too much filler treatment can go against this desire. This is why I imagine stars are having their filler dissolved.”
Davis founded Davis Facials in Beverly Hills.
Dissolving such soft tissue filler requires an injection of hyaluronidase, also known by the brand name Hylenex.
For example, Theresa Guidice shared her experience with Hylenex to dissolve lip filler in a November 2024 Instagram video.
“As you can see, there’s a little bruising,” Guidice said after the dissolving procedure.
Angela White, formerly known as Blac Chyna, also documented in a March 2023 Instagram video the removal of filler from her face due to “chipmunk cheeks.”
Blac Chyna arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2020. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
“I want to dissolve all of it,” White told the doctor while pointing at her cheeks. “Just dissolve all of it ... It’s just not flattering. It’s not what I look like.”
Board-certified plastic surgeon Michael Niccole said “chipmunk cheeks” caused by filler are usually the result of injections by a provider with little experience or aesthetic sense.
“What I see most often is a patient who has received too much filler making their appearance look unnatural and even cartoonish,” Niccole told The Epoch Times. “Other reasons may include when bumps form, infections occur, or there is cutting off of blood supply to the surrounding tissue.”
Niccole is a facial surgeon at CosmetiCare in Newport Beach.
Reality TV star Brandi Glanville dissolved her fillers due to an alleged parasite she felt was migrating under her skin.
Hylenex, however, isn’t for everyone, because there can be downsides.
Non-hyaluronic acid injections, such as Radiesse, Renuva, Bellafil, and Sculptra, don’t respond to Hylenex, and some patients are allergic, according to Davis.
“Certain people can develop hives in reaction to Hylenex, but this is less than 0.1 percent of the population,” Davis said. “The injection itself can be a little painful. Additionally, if there is no plan after the injection, patients can appear deflated.”
Two years ago, Ariana Grande said in a Vogue YouTube video that she had stopped lip filler and Botox after using them for many years.
“I want to see my well-earned cry lines and smile lines,” Grande said. “I hope my smile lines get deeper and deeper and that I laugh more and more. Aging can be such a beautiful thing.”
“Sex and the City” actress Kristin Davis told The Telegraph in 2023 that she had to get her fillers dissolved.
“I can’t keep it up,” she said. “I don’t have time.”
Olivia Culpo attends the 2024 Fox Upfront at The Ritz-Carlton Nomad in New York City on May 13, 2024. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Despite some celebrities announcing their filler-free status, Niccole believes that plenty of actors and models still opt for minimally invasive procedures.
Overall, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found a 7 percent increase in minimally invasive procedures.
“If used properly, fillers can be an exceptional tool in the arsenal against aging and enhancing beauty,” Niccole said. “I have many patients who have relied on fillers for years and keep up their appearance through a maintenance program. They are happy with the results and are overall content with their appearance.”
