Dermal filler can be injected in more than a dozen distinct areas of the face, as well as several body sites including the hands, neck, chest, and hips. The most common treatment zones are the cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds (the lines running from your nose to your mouth corners), under-eyes, chin, jawline, and nose. Each area has different depth requirements, different risks, and different expectations for how long results will last.
Cheeks and Midface
The cheek region is one of the most popular filler zones because it anchors the middle of the face. Losing volume here creates a hollowed or flat appearance, and restoring it can subtly lift the lower face as well. There are actually several distinct pockets within the cheek area, each addressing a different concern.
The outer cheekbone area (over the zygoma) is treated for “apple cheek” fullness. The area over the upper jaw bone addresses hollowing in the front of the cheek. A deeper pocket along the side of the face, over the masseter and parotid gland, targets lateral cheek hollowness. For hollowing in the lower midcheek, filler goes into a layer between the fat pad and the overlying tissue rather than directly into the fat pad itself, which could cause the inner cheek to bulge unnaturally.
Cheek filler placed deep against the bone tends to last the longest of any facial site. Products designed for this area typically maintain results for 12 to 18 months because the cheek is relatively static compared to areas that move constantly, like the lips.
Lips and Around the Mouth
Lip filler adds volume to the upper lip, lower lip, or both, and can also define the lip border. Results here typically last 6 to 12 months because the lips move constantly throughout the day, which breaks down the product faster.
The lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth, called nasolabial folds, are another heavily treated zone. Filler placed in a deep pocket in the paranasal region softens these creases by restoring the volume that once supported them. Products used in this area generally last 9 to 12 months.
Marionette lines, the creases that run downward from the corners of the mouth toward the jaw, are treated by filling a space beneath the muscle that pulls the mouth corners down. This both softens the visible crease and can give a subtle lift to the corners of the mouth.
Under-Eyes (Tear Trough)
The tear trough is the hollow groove that runs from the inner corner of the eye along the lower orbital rim. It creates dark shadows and a tired appearance, and it’s one of the most requested filler areas. It’s also widely considered the most technically challenging site to treat.
The severity of under-eye hollowing ranges from mild volume loss limited to the inner corner to a full depression running the entire length of the orbital rim. Practitioners classify patients further by whether the skin has started to sag, which affects whether filler alone can produce a good result or whether other interventions are needed.
Under-eye filler requires a low-viscosity product injected at the right depth. Too shallow, and the filler creates a bluish discoloration visible through the thin skin (called the Tyndall effect). The guiding principle here is “less is more,” since overcorrection creates visible lumps that are arguably worse than the original hollow. Filler should be placed with you sitting upright, because the hollow is much more visible in that position than lying down.
Nose (Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty)
Filler can reshape the nose without surgery by camouflaging bumps, improving the tip, or adjusting the angle where the nose meets the upper lip. To smooth a dorsal hump, small amounts are placed along the bridge above and below the bump, creating a straighter profile by filling in the surrounding areas rather than removing bone.
For tip projection, tiny amounts go at the very tip of the nose at the depth of the cartilage covering. Injecting between the cartilage domes is avoided because it can splay the tip wider instead of refining it. Rotating the tip upward is an advanced technique that involves placing filler deep at the base of the nose near the nasal spine, usually requiring only about half a milliliter.
The nose carries the highest vascular risk of any filler site. It is the leading cause of filler-related vision loss because the blood supply connects directly to the vessels feeding the eye. This is not a site for an inexperienced injector.
Chin and Jawline
Chin filler improves projection, elongation, or overall balance of the lower face. A common approach uses three points along the chin midline: the crease between the lower lip and chin, the most forward-projecting point, and the lowest point of the chin. From those anchor points, additional product can be blended outward to transition smoothly into the jawline.
Jawline contouring places filler along the mandibular border from the chin toward the angle of the jaw, creating a sharper, more defined contour. This is often combined with chin work for a cohesive lower-face result. The same entry point used for chin filler can also serve as access to treat the lip corners and lower lip, allowing the injector to harmonize the chin with the mouth in a single session.
Temples and Forehead
Temple hollowing is a common early sign of facial volume loss, creating a concave appearance on the sides of the forehead. Filler here restores a smooth, convex contour. The forehead itself can be treated for deep lines or to add subtle roundness.
Both sites carry moderate to high vascular risk. The temple contains branches of the blood supply that connect to the vessels around the eye, and the forehead is classified as a very high-risk zone alongside the nose and the area between the eyebrows. These areas require strict technique and strong anatomical knowledge.
Hands
The backs of the hands lose fat and collagen with age, making tendons and veins increasingly visible. Filler injected beneath the skin on the back of the hand restores padding and creates a smoother, less skeletal appearance. This is one of the few non-facial sites with formal FDA clearance for certain filler products.
Neck, Chest, and Hips
Several body areas are treated with filler off-label, meaning the products are FDA-approved for other sites but used here based on clinical experience rather than formal clearance.
For neck rejuvenation, a collagen-stimulating filler is injected in a grid pattern across the entire neck, with injection sites spaced about one centimeter apart. The chest (décolletage) is treated for sun-damage lines and crepey skin, with filler placed in the fat layer using a threading technique. The treatment area extends from the notch at the base of the throat out to the midclavicular line and down to roughly the fourth rib.
Hip dips, the lateral depressions between the hip bone and upper thigh, can be filled with large-particle hyaluronic acid or collagen-stimulating products to create a smoother contour. Collagen biostimulators work here by gradually increasing skin thickness and encouraging your body’s own collagen production rather than adding volume all at once.
Acne Scars
Filler can improve certain types of depressed acne scars, particularly rolling scars and boxcar scars. These scars have broad, shallow depressions that respond well to being lifted from beneath. Injection techniques include placing tiny droplets under individual scars, threading filler in lines beneath the skin, or fanning out from a single entry point.
Icepick scars, which are narrow and deep, do not respond well to filler. Studies have shown that these deep, narrow depressions resist treatment with injectable products, and other resurfacing methods are more appropriate for them.
How Long Filler Lasts by Location
Where you inject filler has a significant impact on how long it lasts. High-movement areas break down product faster, while deep placements against bone in static areas hold up longer. As a general guide:
- Lips: 6 to 12 months
- Nasolabial folds: 9 to 12 months
- Cheeks (deep placement): 12 to 18 months
Biostimulatory fillers used in the body can produce effects lasting several years because they work by triggering collagen growth rather than simply filling space, but the initial volume from the injection itself dissipates within weeks. Overall, injectable fillers range from about one month to five years of longevity depending on the product type and location.
Risk Varies Significantly by Area
No injection site is completely without vascular risk. Every region of the face contains blood vessels that can potentially be compressed or accidentally injected, but certain zones are far more dangerous than others.
The nose and the glabella (the area between your eyebrows) carry the highest risk. These regions are supplied by branches that connect directly to the blood supply of the eye, making them the most common sites associated with filler-related vision loss. The temple, nasolabial folds, tear trough, and medial cheek are classified as moderate-to-significant risk areas. Lower-risk zones like the jawline and chin still require anatomical knowledge, but serious complications there are less common.
Risk classification systems used by practitioners grade these areas on a scale, with the expectation that injectors progress through lower-risk sites before attempting high-risk ones like the nose or forehead. The skill and training of your injector matters at least as much as the product being used.