Dermal fillers can be placed in nearly every region of the face, from the temples down to the chin. The most common treatment areas are the cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds (smile lines), jawline, chin, under-eye hollows, and temples. Each area addresses a different concern, whether that’s restoring lost volume, smoothing lines, or sharpening contours. Here’s a breakdown of where fillers go, what they do in each spot, and what to know before choosing.
Cheeks and Midface
The cheeks are one of the most popular filler sites because they anchor the entire midface. As you age, the fat pads in this area shrink and shift downward, which flattens the cheekbones and deepens the lines below. Filler placed along and lateral to the cheekbone restores that lifted, structured look and can indirectly soften the nasolabial folds by supporting the tissue above them.
Hyaluronic acid fillers are the most commonly used here, though calcium hydroxylapatite fillers are also popular for their longer-lasting structural support. Because the midface needs volume rather than surface smoothing, injectors typically use thicker, firmer gels placed deep against the bone. Results in this area are among the longest lasting. MRI studies have shown that hyaluronic acid fillers in the midface remain detectable for at least two years in all patients scanned, with some showing filler presence well beyond that window.
Lips
Lip filler can add volume, define the lip border (the vermilion border), smooth vertical lip lines, and improve symmetry. It’s one of the more technique-sensitive areas because the lips move constantly when you talk, eat, and smile. That high mobility means the filler needs to be flexible enough to move naturally with your tissue.
Not all hyaluronic acid fillers behave the same way in the lips. Firmer gels create more immediate projection but may not hold up as well over time in such a dynamic area. Softer, more flexible gels integrate better with the tissue and tend to show a gradual, progressive volume increase rather than a dramatic initial result that fades quickly. Your injector’s choice of product here matters as much as their placement technique, so this is worth discussing during your consultation.
Nasolabial Folds and Marionette Lines
The nasolabial folds run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. Marionette lines extend from the mouth corners down toward the jaw. Both deepen with age as fat pads deflate and skin loses elasticity.
A skilled injector won’t simply fill these creases like spackle in a crack. The better approach often involves restoring volume in the cheeks or deep tissue above the fold first, which lifts the skin and softens the line indirectly. Direct treatment of the fold itself typically uses small amounts of filler placed in careful linear threads beneath the skin. For marionette lines, the bulk of filler goes into the upper third of the fold to avoid a heavy or unnatural look near the jaw.
In more advanced cases, treating the nasolabial folds effectively may require addressing multiple areas: the temples, the midface, and the jawline, in addition to the folds themselves. This is why many providers recommend a full-face assessment rather than focusing on a single line.
Under-Eye Hollows (Tear Trough)
The tear trough is the groove that runs from the inner corner of your eye along the top of the cheekbone. When this area is hollow, it creates dark shadows that make you look tired regardless of how much sleep you got. Filler here can dramatically reduce that shadowed, sunken appearance.
This is one of the trickiest areas to treat. The skin under the eye is extremely thin, and several things can go wrong. Filler placed too superficially can create a bluish discoloration called the Tyndall effect, where the product shows through the skin. Overfilling can cause puffiness because hyaluronic acid attracts water, and extra swelling in this delicate area looks worse than the original hollow. Post-treatment bruising can also leave an orange-brown stain from iron deposits in the skin that takes months to fade.
Not everyone is a good candidate for tear trough filler. You’ll get the best results if you have a clearly defined hollow with relatively thick, smooth skin. People with prominent under-eye fat pads (true “bags”), significant skin laxity, dark pigmentation, or small puffy protrusions called festoons are generally better served by other treatments. If you’ve had lower eyelid surgery in the past, your injector needs to know, as this changes the anatomy and the risks.
Jawline and Chin
Jawline and chin filler have surged in popularity for both women and men seeking a more defined lower face. The goals here are structural: sharpening the jaw angle, smoothing out jowling, restoring chin projection, and creating a cleaner line from ear to chin.
As you age, the jawbone itself recedes and the angle between the jaw’s horizontal body and vertical branch increases, softening what was once a sharp corner. Fat along the jaw thins out, and the tissue that holds skin taut along the jawline weakens, allowing jowls to form. Filler addresses this by rebuilding the scaffolding that bone and fat used to provide.
For chin projection, filler is typically placed deep in the midline at two to three points across the front of the chin. The goal is to bring the chin forward to roughly align with the lower lip in profile. Along the jaw body and angle, injectors use a combination of deep and superficial placements to create definition without widening the face. Overfilling the area between the chin and jaw (the prejowl sulcus) is a common pitfall that can make the chin look broader rather than more defined.
Temples
Temple hollowing is one of the earliest signs of facial volume loss, but many people don’t realize filler can go here. When the temples are sunken, the upper face looks gaunt and the brow can drop slightly. A single deposit of filler placed deep in the temple restores the convex, full shape of the upper face and can even provide a subtle brow lift by supporting the tail end of the eyebrow from below.
Forehead and Brow
Filler along the brow bone can lift a drooping lateral brow without surgery. A small amount placed deep against the bone at the outer edge of the orbital rim gets massaged upward to support the brow tail. This is a less common treatment but useful for people whose brow position contributes to a tired or heavy-lidded appearance.
High-Risk Zones to Know About
Every injectable treatment carries some risk, but certain facial areas are particularly dangerous because of the blood vessels running through them. The highest-risk zones for vascular complications include the glabella (between the eyebrows), the nose, the nasolabial fold region, the temples, and the area around the eyes. In rare cases, filler injected into or compressing a blood vessel can block blood flow to the skin or, in the most severe scenario, to the eye.
This is the single biggest reason to choose your injector carefully. An experienced provider who understands facial vascular anatomy, uses proper injection depths, and knows how to recognize and treat a vascular event immediately is your best protection. The product itself matters far less than the hands holding the syringe.
What Fillers Cost Per Area
Most fillers are priced per syringe, not per area. A single syringe of hyaluronic acid filler typically runs $600 to $1,200, while more specialized or longer-lasting fillers can cost $1,500 or more. How many syringes you need depends entirely on the area and the degree of correction.
Lips might need one syringe. Cheeks usually take one to two per side. A full jawline can require three to four syringes total. Under-eye treatment is generally one syringe split between both sides. These numbers vary widely based on your anatomy, your goals, and how conservative or aggressive the approach is. A first treatment often requires more product than maintenance sessions down the line.
Choosing the Right Provider
In most states, the professionals licensed to inject fillers include medical doctors (MDs and DOs), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses working under physician supervision, and in many states, dentists. The license alone doesn’t tell you much. What matters more is hands-on training in facial anatomy and injection technique, a portfolio of consistent results, and experience managing complications.
Board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons have the deepest training in facial anatomy, but experienced nurse practitioners and physician assistants who specialize in aesthetics and inject daily can be equally skilled. Look for a provider who assesses your entire face rather than just filling wherever you point, who discusses which product they’re using and why, and who is transparent about what fillers can and cannot achieve for your specific concerns.