Why the 49-year-old dermatologist doesn’t use fillers

• Dr. Noreen Galaria, 49, is a dermatologist who offers clients filler treatments to plump up the skin.
• Galaria never got filler herself, citing concerns that she would gradually overdo it.
• Instead, use sunscreen, retinoids, antioxidants, and exercise to increase your skin’s collagen.

Filler injections are increasingly popular, with more than 3.4 million treatments performed in the US in 2023. They are often used to address anti-aging issues by plumping up areas of the face that have lost collagen.

While she offers filler treatments to her clients, Dr. Noreen Galaria, a dermatologist in Virginia, has never used them herself. Galaria, 49, told BI that there is “a lot of pressure” in her industry to both use and offer filler injections, in part because they are less invasive than other options like facelifts .

“Being in this industry for so long, I’ve seen a lot of people start to have ‘perception bias,'” she said, referring to a term in the dermatology world for when people gradually overfill without realizing it. – he realized. “Even doctors are not immune to it.”

To keep her skin smooth and firm, she uses skin care products like sunscreen and retinol, incorporates antioxidants into her diet, and works out regularly.

He saw the bad side effects of the filler

In his 23 years of practicing dermatology, Galaria said he’s seen fillers shift from a restorative treatment — adding volume to the face as it ages — to being used to reshape facial features.

“Filler never had to do the hard work,” she said. Now, clients in their 20s are requesting fillers to reshape their jawline or give them fuller lips. The results can look cartoonish and lead to troublesome side effects such as migration of filling materials.

When Galaria injects filler, she normally uses a maximum of one or two syringes about the size of a “fat blueberry.” But he had a surge of customers coming in with 10 syringes of filler, asking him to dissolve it.

“There’s a bit of filler fatigue,” she said, as more people turn to non-injectable skin care treatments.

She swears by sunscreen and retinoids

Galaria said wearing sunscreen daily helped her more than anything else. “The sun is responsible for 80 percent of our aging,” she said, with exposure to UV light causing loss of elasticity, dark spots and uneven skin tone.

“Imagine if you could slow down the aging that’s happening, rather than constantly trying to reverse it,” she said.

She also uses tretinoin, a prescription retinoid that boosts collagen production and is a staple of most antiaging skin care routines. In addition to building collagen, tretinoin can lighten dark spots, improve skin tone, and reduce acne.

For clients who are new to retinoids or prone to skin irritation, she usually recommends over-the-counter retinol before eventually switching to a prescription formula.

She takes several forms of antioxidants

Antioxidants like vitamin C boost collagen production and lighten dark spots, so Galaria uses a vitamin C serum every morning after washing her face and before putting on sunscreen.

She also takes antioxidant supplements and incorporates antioxidants into her diet. “My lunch is always a smoothie that includes lots of fresh foods and vegetables that are known to be good for your skin,” she said, including ginger, blueberries, pineapple and seasonal fruit. She also adds a scoop of collagen, which may have additional skin benefits.

He trains several times a week

Galaria exercises three to four times a week, alternating between cardio and free weight training. “When you have better blood flow to your skin, you’ll flush out toxins better,” she said.

Strength training can be especially helpful for keeping skin glowing, she said.

From simple lifestyle changes and a consistent skin care routine, “I think you can really achieve a lot of success without necessarily feeling the pressure to choose fillers,” Galaria said.