Hyaluronic acid fillers were first introduced into the aesthetics market in the 1990s and their popularity skyrocketed in the 2000s. Over the past ten years, the increasing popularity of social media and influencer culture has had a dramatic impact on trends within the aesthetics industry. 

Platforms such as Instagram have shaped public perception of the “perfect” face—defined by sharp jawlines, full lips and sculpted cheeks. However, the trend for fillers has shifted. More celebrities and influencers are now dissolving their fillers and embracing a more natural look. So, what’s replacing them? In this article, we’ll explore the rise and fall of the filler trend  and the latest aesthetic treatments gaining popularity such as Collagen stimulating treatments.

Social Media Beauty Standards

‘Instagram Face’ is a phrase used to describe the beauty standard created across social media platforms based on filters and influencers. For many years, consumers have been bombarded with chiseled jawlines, full lips, perfect noses and volumised cheeks every time they scroll on their phones. The phrase ‘more is more’ took over. Celebrities and influencers began to post filtered and flawless images to millions around the world. This has left everyday consumers wondering how they could achieve this same look. 

When Did the Filler Trend Peak?

It is widely thought that the lip filler trend reached its peak in 2015 when Kylie Jenner finally confirmed that she’d had lip filler. Google searches for them increased by 11,300%. Some aesthetic clinics saw a dramatic 70% increase in enquiries for filler in just 24 hours.

Over the next few years thousands of social media influencers would enhance their features with dermal fillers.  Many choose to share their treatments with their followers and others choose not to disclose this information. This trend led to a 50% increase in non-surgical treatments worldwide between 2015 and 2019. 

The Beginning of the Fall of Filler…

In more recent years, celebrities and influencers such as Kylie Jenner, Courtney Cox, Blac Chyna have talked about dissolving their fillers. Many discussed how they went too far and were left looking botched or no longer like themselves.

Most notably in the UK, influencer Molly-Mae was extremely vocal about her filler journey, following her appearance on Love Island. In 2019 an image of her went viral and she received huge backlash for the amount of filler she’d had. Fans were saying she had gone too far and didn’t look like herself anymore. Shortly after this she had all of her filler dissolved and said she regretted getting filler so young and prefers now to embrace her natural look. She has since encouraged her followers to do so too. In 2024 she said she hadn’t had filler for almost five years. 

Molly-Mae’s decision to dissolve her filler and promote a natural look to her 8 million followers has driven the recent decrease of filler in the UK. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons found that the number of people who had filler in 2023 decreased by 26% from the previous year. 

“Less is more,” has become a widely used phrase in recent years in place of “more is more.” There is a rise of influencers now promoting a more natural look with collagen stimulating treatments.

High Profile Filler Complications

There have been hundreds of stories in the media over the past few years from patients who have had botched filler and been left with complications. This is primarily due to inexperienced non-medics performing medical treatments. These countless stories have helped to raise awareness of the dangers of filler being injected by the wrong hands.

  • Of 2,824 aesthetic treatment complaints made to SaveFace in 2022, 69% of these were due to dermal filler.
  • 1300 of these complaints were specifically down to lip filler treatments.

 This staggering number of filler complications has certainly played a part in the decline of filler popularity in the UK. Patients are now much more aware of the dangers and are therefore opting for more low-risk treatments. 

It’s important to remember complications can happen with most aesthetic treatments, even in the most experienced hands. To minimise risk of complications, you should always go to an experienced and trained medical practitioner for any injectable treatments, including dermal filler. 

Which Treatments are Trending Now Instead of Filler?

Collagen stimulating treatments are the biggest trend in the aesthetic industry right now. Whilst they have always been available, they are now lots of patients go-to treatment. Collagen stimulating treatments include: 

They are popular as they are low-risk and encourage collagen regrowth and stimulation to provide a more youthful and natural appearance. There will always be a place for dermal fillers, but it can’t be denied that consumers are now looking for treatments which provide more natural results. 

Natural Results at MediZen

At MediZen, we pride ourselves on giving honest recommendations and achieving natural results. As a doctor-led service our expert medical team is dedicated to providing the very best aesthetic treatments. We offer a wide range of options for the face, skin, body and overall health & wellbeing.

Book a consultation with us today or contact us if you have any questions. Our highly experienced doctors and nurses are here to help you look and feel your most confident self.