Why Overfilling Your Face Isn't The Answer: Lauryn Bosstick And Katrina Fahey Talk Natural Beauty Solutions

On an August 2024 episode of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show, host Lauryn Bosstick sat down with Katrina Fahey, an expert in Craniofacial Functional Medicine, to discuss something we don't often hear about when it comes to beauty – the importance of maintaining a healthy bone structure.

We know about skincare routines, Botox, and fillers, but it’s not often we’re educated on bone structure for aesthetic reasons.

Bosstick opened the conversation with an observation about the overuse of fillers. "You see so many young women so overfilled, and they're using filler to compensate for the bones," she said, addressing the trend of relying on fillers to fix what is often a structural issue. "People will DM me asking what filler I have in my face, and I’m like, don’t get tons of filler! It causes so much inflammation, but it’s not fixing the root of the problem." Not only does it cause inflammation, but it also leads to the pillow face look that we’ve seen in Hollywood.

Fahey agreed and broke down the deeper issue with fillers, stating that they address the symptoms but not the cause. "You can tell when people have too much filler and surgeries because it's not treating the face holistically," Fahey explained. The culprit, she adds, is a shrinking maxilla, the upper jaw bone that holds the cheekbones, eye sockets, and the roof of the mouth. As it begins to shrink with age, starting in our late 30s, it causes the eyes to narrow and sink in, the teeth to shift, and the cheeks to flatten, creating jowls.

In other words, Fahey pointed out that many of the so-called "signs of aging" can actually be traced back to structural issues with the bones, not just sagging skin or loss of volume. Instead of resorting to endless filler, she emphasized the importance of addressing the root cause, that is, keeping that facial structure healthy.

On Instagram, Fahey advocates for palate expanders and emphasizes proper tongue posture, which involves pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and breathing through the nose. She also has a book on craniofacial health titled Beauty Is Bone Deep: Learn How We Grow a Beautiful Face.

"Celebrities get silicon cheek implants, but their eyes get squinty," Fahey added, nodding to the fact that these procedures often distort the natural balance of the face. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to celebrities; it’s happening to everyday women who don’t realize that fillers, if not done carefully, can actually make them look older.

Despite all these drawbacks, the dermal filler market is projected to nearly double, from $5.44 billion in 2024 to $10.16 billion by 2032. It’s a booming industry, but as Bosstick and Fahey made clear, more isn't always better. In fact, more women are starting to reverse course, opting to dissolve their fillers as they realize the “overdone” look isn't what they signed up for.

The infamous "pillow face" effect, where the face looks unnaturally puffy and overfilled, is the unintended consequence of relying on fillers to fix what’s often a bone-related issue. There are natural ways to maintain facial aesthetics without turning to fillers.

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