Over the years, I’ve watched some of my favorite celebrities get swept up in the obsession of “looking young” as they get older. I get it, it’s got to be hard getting photographed from every possible angle anytime you step outside and then having those pictures ripped apart in tabloids. God forbid we look our age. But something I’ve never understood is how celebrities — who typically have the money to get the best botox and fillers in the industry — end up getting surgery that just… doesn’t look flattering at all. If you’ve seen Madonna or Nicole Kidman recently, you may have wondered why their filler looks so… puffed up. Well, TikTok ~experts~ have coined the unflattering effects of injected filler as pillow face syndrome, also known as facial overfilled syndrome (FOS), a concerning trend attributed to excessive filler use and bad injection techniques.
And if you’ve seen the Pillow Face Filter that’s been popularized on TikTok, you know it’s not being used in the traditional sense of a typical filter. Instead of using it to get high-cheekbones, botox-friendly look — they’re mostly using it to make fun of influencers who get excessive filler. Yikes.
Betches spoke to plastic surgeon experts to better understand what is pillow face? And how to avoid it.
What Is Pillow Face?
So, when you’re getting botox and are aiming for that perfectly sculpted, “I woke up like this” look, but instead, you end up with a face that looks like it’s been overstuffed with fluff… that, my friends, is what the experts call “pillow face.” Dr. Sam Rizk, an expert in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, tells Betches, “Pillow face happens when too much filler is injected into the face, especially in the cheeks, resulting in an overly full, puffy appearance with a loss of natural contours.”
Dr. Carl Truesdale, facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, agrees, adding that it’s all about the “unnatural appearance in which the face’s natural contours and anatomy are blunted,” making your face look more like a puffy pillow than a chiseled masterpiece.
How Do I Avoid Getting Pillow Face?
First things first: avoid overfilling your face like it’s a Thanksgiving turkey. Dr. Rizk stresses the importance of choosing a skilled provider who knows how to keep things natural. He advises going for “a skilled facial plastic surgeon who really understands how to balance and enhance your features” and emphasizes that the key is moderation — “less is always more.”
Dr. Truesdale also has some solid advice, recommending that you “start with some and gradually build up to the desired effect, rather than get a lot of fillers all at once.” And if your face is starting to sag (it happens to the best of us), he suggests considering a surgical lift or fat transfer instead of just piling on more fillers.
Can You Get Rid Of Pillow Face?
But what if you’ve already gone too far and your face looks more like a puffy cloud than a sleek contour? Don’t panic! If you’ve crossed the line from snatched to overstuffed, there’s still hope. Dr. Truesdale explains that you can have your filler dissolved using hyaluronidase, a treatment that breaks down the excess filler. But he cautions that you should only trust this procedure to someone experienced and skilled in dissolving filler.
Dr. Rizk also points out that the best way to avoid needing to undo pillow face is to work with a skilled injector from the start. The goal should always be to “enhance, not overwhelm, your natural features.” So, yes, there are ways to fix pillow face, but finding the right expert to get you back to looking fabulous is key.
