When it comes to in-office procedures, and specifically fillers, the United States plays by a very strict set of rules compared to other parts of the world. In Europe, there are dozens of different fillers and indications compared to our portfolio here, and in Asia, the trends are vastly different. One of the latest gaining popularity? Ear filler, and no, it’s not the kind you can get off-label stateside to fix a stretched out piercing. Here’s the scoop.
The Ear Filler Trend
In Asia, many people are opting for filler injected behind the ear or in the antihelix (the curved piece of cartilage in the middle of the ear). “When I was in China, one of the dermatologists told me this is one of the most commonly performed procedures that he does, and I couldn’t believe it,” says Minneapolis dermatologist Jenny Liu, MD on Instagram. “But now I see it everywhere on Reddit.”
“It’s crazy watching [videos of] it,” says Canadian dermatologist Danny Guo, MD. “The result I think they’re trying to generate is lateral structure. But, they don’t want to augment the lateral cheeks because Asians often have prominent zygomas [cheekbones] already. So instead, they hide it back behind the ear. In North America, this is called a ‘sneaky lift,’ and they inject [filler] into the temporal hairline.”
Aside from the lifting effect, Dr. Liu says this technique actually fans out the ears, which creates a smaller face. “In Asia, the trend is all about having a smaller face,” she explains. “So, having your ears fan out more creates the illusion that your face is actually smaller.” There’s even “elf ear” tape sold in many Asian beauty stores, which allows you to “try on” the effect first before committing to filler. A little silicone cuff sits behind the ear, pushing it forward.
“To be totally honest, this is not a tradeoff that I think Western audiences would make,” says Dr. Guo. “I think a lot of pediatric plastic surgeons offer this when they see newborns that have this [a smaller face]. They offer the surgery very young to repair it. But now in Asia, we’re seeing people go the other way around and trying to create this look. It’s very interesting.”
