Celebs Open Up As They Embrace Injectable ‘Make-Under’ Trend
Over the last few years, the removal of injectable fillers has gathered pace among celebrities and their fans. Costing hundreds of dollars, more and more people are deciding to undergo the often painful procedure in a bid to embrace a more natural look.
There are, of course, plenty of reasons why the filler trend is quickly falling out of fashion. With millions of people previously dabbling in fillers, we’ve all heard our fair share of horror stories when procedures have gone wrong. Others are simply sick of this cookie-cutter ‘Instagram Face’ and want to embrace their unique quirks instead. Some have cited health reasons or dissatisfaction with the overall look (or the fading in between top-ups).
This trend is also spreading. At the start of this year, it was reported that surgeons had even started to notice an uptick in people having their fillers dissolved. One surgeon even said that the number of people asking to get their lip fillers removed is the ‘highest it's ever been’.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the celebrities on this list are even influencing other people into ditching their fillers as well. Either way, embracing your natural beauty and feeling confident just being yourself is something that we are always here for.
With this in mind, we wanted to take a look at some of the biggest stars that have decided to ditch the filler and what they’ve said about embracing a more natural aesthetic.
Courteney Cox said fillers were a ‘waste of time’
Friends actor Courteney Cox actually opened up about having her fillers removed way back in 2017. At the time, the star admitted that she regretted getting filler in her face in the first place after it had spiraled into a ‘domino effect’ where she kept topping up her injectables.
"You don't realize that you look a little off, so then you keep doing more 'cause you look normal to yourself," the American TV star said during an interview. Courteney also added that she was still so young at the time and felt like it was a “waste of time” to worry about injectables back then. However, things quickly built up.
"You look in the mirror and go, 'Oh, that looks good, and you don't realize what it looks like to the outside person,” she added. In 2017, she had enough. Since then, she’s realized that embracing her natural beauty was more her thing and had her fillers removed.
Blac Chyna admitted that she had ‘outgrown’ her fillers
In March 2023, Blac Chyna filmed herself having her fillers removed and shared the experience on social media. In a series of social media posts, the American socialite explained that she felt like she had ‘outgrown’ her fillers and was ready to be her real self.
Blac, whose real name is Angela White, explained that she was ‘happy’ to have all of her filler removed as she wanted to feel more like her real self. "I'm ready to get back to Angela," she told her followers at the time. "Blac Chyna is Blac Chyna, and I feel like I've outgrown that. It's time for a change."
The video then goes on to show Chyna sitting in a surgeon's chair before hyaluronidase is injected into her face. This is the solution that is often used by aesthetics specialists to dissolve the injectable filler. The star’s candid admission about her filler removal also came shortly after she revealed that she’d had silicone removed from her bum and boobs, admitting that she’d had health complications after undergoing the illegal procedure at the age of 19.
Simon Cowell admitted that he ‘went too far’
While fillers are often marketed toward a female audience, plenty of men have also decided to get injectables over the last few years. In fact, one report revealed that almost half a million men had Botox in 2019 alone and that was a steady uptick from previous years. For some, however, the trend of injectables has since fallen out of fashion.
Music mogul Simon Cowell revealed in 2022 that he had also decided to get his filler removed. Speaking to The Sun, the X Factor judge explained that he no longer has any filler in his face and that ‘enough was enough’. Speaking to The Sun, Cowell also explained that he had switched his filler for a healthy lifestyle, and credits drinking lots of water for helping his skin.
"There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from 'before' the other day, and didn't recognize it as me first of all…Enough was enough. There is no filler in my face at all now. Zero."
He added: "There was a phase where everyone was having their faces pumped full of this and the other. But actually, for me now, a lot of it comes down to healthy eating and drinking tonnes of water."
Lottie Moss admitted that the removal process was far from easy
One of the latest stars to jump on the bandwagon was Kate Moss’ little sister, Lottie Moss. Having invested in lip filler in 2019, Lottie eventually admitted that she regretted getting the procedure done.
Taking to social media last week, Moss revealed that she had spent £450 to have her fillers dissolved in an attempt to embrace a more natural look. And, it sounded bloody painful.
“I can't laugh because it hurts like a f*****g b***h,” she said on Instagram. '”I can't laugh because it hurts so badly. Now I look even more demented than when I went into the doctor's office.” 😬
Molly-Mae Hague said she ‘never felt prettier’ after dissolving jaw filler
Molly is one of many reality stars that have recently decided to ditch the fillers once and for all. However, she also revealed that she was actually influenced to augment her face by others on social media.
She said on Diary of a CEO: 'I thought I needed to get jaw, cheek, and lip filler to be a successful influencer like the girls on Instagram are.” However, the new mum eventually discovered that it’s all down to filters and photoshop, adding: 'It's all editing, now I realize. By the age of 21, I didn't look like the same person.'
Her turning point was seeing a swollen picture of her face shortly after she’d had lots of filler added. She decided it was time to take a step back and began dissolving her fillers. Reflecting on how it made her feel, she added: “Weirdly, I felt the prettiest I'd ever felt. I feel like I've dropped about five years off my age.”
A filler-free future?
So what is our verdict on the trend of dissolving fillers? While most of these celebrities seemed happy to embrace their natural looks, I’ll be honest I’m skeptical about what the future holds.
While there’s been a steady shift in approaches to fillers, many younger people are still being drawn in by such trends. What’s more, the rise of harmful social media filters has deceptively championed the ‘Instagram Face’ and contributed to more people seeking out such looks.
At the same time, I’m hopeful. As more people come forward and talk about their filler-dissolving experiences, it might coincide with a growing awareness that getting fillers isn’t always what it's cracked up to be.
WHATS UP NEXT …
