A youthful face shape is round or oval. So when we start to see hollowing of the temples, the facial shape is quickly perceived as aging. As the outline of the skull starts to become visible, it can make us look unhealthily thin or older than we really are.
Hollow temples can also directly affect the eyebrow shape and even affect the under eye area due to a lack of lateral facial volume and support.
The temples age like other areas of the face - all the layers of the tissue including the skin, the fat 'pads', the muscle size and the bony support will all change as we age. In the temple, hollowing is usually due to a decrease in the volume of fat that supports the area as well as the bone quality decreasing.
How are temple fillers performed?
To help soften a temple hollow, a volumising filler is traditionally placed deep onto the bone to help lift the hollowed appearance. It's most commonly performed as a single injection on each side of the forehead.
However Dr Jake now uses ultrasound to help improve both the safety but also efficacy of temple fillers. Instead, he will target what is known as the inter-fascial plane. This better expands the volume of the temple without risking injuring the deep temple arteries.
If the temple is very hollow, it may also be necessary to add filler more superficially to help blend it into the surrounding areas such as the cheek bone or forehead. (This can looks slightly puffy for 2-4 weeks afterwards as a result.)
How much filler we need is variable, but common doses range from 0.5ml per side for mild hollowing to 2ml per side for more significant temple fat-loss.