Temple Filler in London: Hollow Temples and the Upper-Face Lift

Nobody asks for temple filler and almost everyone over forty-five needs it. The temples hollow quietly, the brow tail drops into the dip, the outer eye sags, the cheekbone starts to look bony and the face takes on a peanut shape that reads as tired or gaunt. One syringe a side, placed on the bone, restores the line from forehead to cheek and lifts the outer brow without anything else being touched.

Temple filler is a hyaluronic acid gel placed in the hollow between the outer corner of the eye, the hairline and the cheekbone to restore the volume that the temporal fat pads lose with age or weight loss. Filling the temple smooths the transition from forehead to cheek, supports and lifts the tail of the brow, opens the outer eye, softens crow’s feet and makes a prominent or bony cheekbone look natural again. I place it with a cannula, deep on the bone beneath the temporalis muscle, from a single entry point, which keeps it away from the superficial temporal artery and the sentinel vein that run through this area. Most temples need 1 ml a side and the result is immediate, settles over two weeks and lasts twelve to eighteen months, often longer. Temple filler at Hampstead Aesthetics is £400 per ml, with the consultation and a two-week review included.

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GMC

Registered Doctor

MRCS

Royal College of Surgeons

12 to 18 months
Typical duration

ABOUT TEMPLE FILLER

Why the temples hollow, and what filler does there

The temple is the flat area between the outer brow, the hairline and the top of the cheekbone. In youth it is level with the forehead and the cheek, filled by the temporalis muscle, a superficial fat pad and a deep one, so that the outline of the face runs in a smooth curve from the forehead to the jaw. From the late thirties, and earlier in thin or athletic people and after weight loss, the temporal fat pads shrink and the temporalis muscle thins, and the temple becomes a hollow. The effects spread further than the temple itself: the outer end of the brow, which was supported from beneath, sinks into the dip; the outer corner of the eye hoods; the cheekbone, now sitting next to a hollow, looks prominent and bony; and the face narrows above the cheek into a peanut or hourglass shape that reads as tired, gaunt or older than the rest of the face.

Temple filler restores the fat that has gone, in the place it has gone from. A hyaluronic acid gel placed deep on the bone, beneath the muscle, or in the superficial fat layer depending on the anatomy, refills the hollow so that the outline of the face is a curve again. Because the temple supports the brow tail, refilling it lifts the outer brow by a millimetre or two and opens the outer eye, which is why patients often say their eyes look more awake without anything having been done to the eyes. The cheekbone stops looking bony. The face looks fuller above the cheek and, paradoxically, slimmer overall, because the width is now where it should be.

Where it sits in a plan: temple filler is the upper-face partner of cheek filler, and the two together are the foundation of most restoration plans over forty-five. It pairs with a brow lift with anti-wrinkle injections for a heavier brow, with Sculptra for a face that has deflated everywhere, and with Sofwave to the brow where the skin has loosened. The ageing skin page explains where the temples sit in a staged plan, and my blog on temple fillers in London covers the questions patients ask most.

WHAT TEMPLE FILLER TREATS

Five reasons patients come for temple filler

Most come having noticed something else: a droopy outer brow, a bony cheek, a tired look. The temple is the cause.

Hollow temples

A visible dip between the brow and the hairline, worst in overhead light. 1 ml a side on the bone. The commonest reason.

The drooping brow tail and hooded outer eye

A brow that sinks at its outer end into the hollow. Refilling the temple lifts it; a small anti-wrinkle dose lifts it further.

The bony cheekbone

A cheekbone that looks prominent or harsh because the temple beside it is hollow. Temple filler, not cheek reduction, is the answer.

The peanut or hourglass face

A face that narrows above the cheek. Temples restore the upper width and the oval.

After weight loss or GLP-1 medication

The gaunt upper face that follows rapid weight loss. Temples first, then cheeks, often with Sculptra.

Hollow temples at a young age

Genetic temporal hollowing in the twenties and thirties, common in athletic and slim faces. Small volumes; long-lasting.

THE TREATMENT

What happens at the consultation and the treatment

The consultation takes 20 minutes. I look at the temples in overhead light, which shows the hollow, and from above the head, which shows the loss of the curve, and I photograph both. I feel for the temporal crest, the ridge of bone that marks the edge of the hollow, and for the superficial temporal artery, whose pulse can be felt just in front of the ear and whose frontal branch crosses the temple, and I look for the sentinel vein that runs across the outer temple in many people. I judge whether the hollow is deep fat, superficial fat or both, which decides the layer the filler goes in. Then I explain what a syringe will do and we agree the plan and the price in writing.

The treatment takes 20 to 30 minutes. Numbing cream is applied for 15 minutes; the fillers contain lidocaine. I mark the safe zone, one centimetre up from the orbital rim and one centimetre in from the temporal crest, well away from the artery and the vein. For deep placement I make one entry point and pass a blunt cannula down to the bone beneath the temporalis muscle, where a firm filler spreads and lifts the whole temple; for superficial hollowing I place a softer filler in the fat layer above the muscle with the cannula fanned across the hollow. I inject slowly, check the outline from above after each pass, and massage the filler flat. Most temples take 1 ml a side; a deep hollow may take 1.5 ml or two visits.

You leave with written aftercare, including no pressure on the temples from glasses, hats or sleeping on your side for a week, and my direct number. The review is at two weeks. Temple filler combines with cheek filler in the same session for a face restored from the top down, with a brow lift with anti-wrinkle injections for more lift at the outer brow, with Sculptra for whole-face deflation, and with Profhilo two weeks later for the skin over the new shape.

“The temple is the area I teach most carefully, because the artery and the vein are right there and the safe technique is not intuitive. Deep on the bone, by cannula, in the zone away from the vessels, and less than you think. Fill a temple well and the whole upper face looks rested without anyone knowing why.”

Dr Chiké Emeagi, MRCS, GMC 4418489

TEMPLE FILLER VS THE ALTERNATIVES

How temple filler compares with other upper-face treatments

Each row is a treatment patients ask me to compare. The realistic-result column is what I say in the room.

Treatment	What it does	Best for	Onset and duration	Downtime	Realistic result
Temple filler, HA	Restores the temporal hollow on the bone or in the fat	Hollow temples; a drooping brow tail; a bony cheek; the peanut face	Immediate; 12 to 18 months or longer	Swelling 2 to 3 days; occasional bruise	A restored upper-face curve and a subtly lifted outer brow; reversible
Sculptra to the temples	Stimulates collagen across the temple and upper cheek	Generalised deflation; thin faces; someone wanting gradual change	6 to 12 weeks; 2 years or more	Bruising for days	Natural fullness over months; not for a first, defined correction
Brow lift with anti-wrinkle injections	Relaxes the muscles pulling the outer brow down	A heavy brow tail with a reasonable temple	2 weeks; 3 to 4 months	None	A lift of a few millimetres; combines with temple filler for a bigger one
Cheek filler alone	Restores the mid-face	Flat cheeks with full temples	Immediate; 12 to 18 months	Swelling 2 to 3 days	Can make a hollow temple look worse by contrast; temples first or together
Sofwave to the brow	Tightens the skin of the brow and outer eye	Laxity of the brow with reasonable temples	12 weeks; 12 to 24 months	None	A firmer brow; does not fill the hollow
Fox eye thread lift	Threads lift the outer brow mechanically	A drooping brow tail wanting a stronger lift	Immediate; 12 to 18 months	A week of swelling	A defined lift; temple filler beneath makes it hold
Surgical temporal brow lift	Repositions the brow permanently	Heavy brow ptosis	Permanent	Surgical	Referred where appropriate

My blog on temple hollow filler goes further into the upper-face plan.

SETTLING

Temple filler day by day

The temple swells a little and settles quickly, but is sensitive to pressure for a week. This is the usual course.

Time	What is happening	What you see	What to do
Day of treatment	Filler placed on the bone or in the fat	The hollow gone, slightly over-full; a pinpoint entry mark	Cold pack; no glasses arms or hat pressing on the temple; sleep on your back
Days 1 to 3	Mild swelling; occasional tenderness on chewing if placed deep	Temples a little fuller than the final result; occasional bruise	No exercise, alcohol or heat; no side sleeping; soft food if chewing is tender
Days 4 to 7	Swelling settling; filler integrating	Shape close to final	Normal life; still no pressure on the temples
Day 14	Filler settled	The true result	Review; balancing if needed; glasses and side sleeping back to normal
Months 12 to 18	Gradual metabolism	Slow return of the hollow	Top-up when you notice it, usually 0.5 to 1 ml a side
Any time	Warning signs	A visible vein bulging, a hard lump, pale or blotchy skin at the temple or forehead, or a headache out of proportion	Call me the same day

Mild tenderness on chewing for a few days after deep placement is normal, because the filler sits beneath the chewing muscle; it settles.

RESULTS

Results and what to expect

A good temple filler result is one that nobody attributes to the temples. The outline of the face runs in a curve again from forehead to jaw, the outer brow sits a little higher and the eye looks more open, the cheekbone looks natural rather than bony, and the face looks rested and fuller without any change to its features. Patients say they look less tired, less gaunt, or that a photograph finally looks like them. Because the temple barely moves and the filler sits on bone, it lasts longer than most areas: twelve to eighteen months for most patients and two years for some, with top-ups needing less each time.

The honest expectations. One millilitre a side restores a moderate hollow; a deep hollow in a thin face may need 1.5 ml a side, which I would rather do over two visits than over-fill. Filler placed superficially in the wrong patient can show as a slight bulge when chewing or a visible vein where the filler has pushed it forward, both of which are avoided by placing deep on the bone and away from the vessels. The temple lifts the brow by a millimetre or two, not by the amount a thread or surgery can. And the temple is one of the two areas on the face, with the nose, where the vessels make technique matter more than anywhere else.

I photograph from the front, in overhead light and from above the head before treatment and at the two-week review.

AFTER TREATMENT

Recovery, downtime and aftercare

The first 12 hours. No make-up over the entry point. Cold pack for ten minutes at a time. No pressing or massaging unless I have shown you how.

The first week. No pressure on the temples: glasses arms adjusted or glasses worn loosely, no tight hats, headbands, helmets or swimming goggles, and sleep on your back rather than your side. No exercise, saunas, steam or alcohol for 48 hours.

The first two weeks. No facials, massage, hairdressing that presses on the temples, or other treatments to the upper face. Soft food for a day or two if chewing is tender.

Bruising. Uncommon with a cannula; if it happens it sits at the entry point and covers with make-up from the next day. A bruise that tracks along a vein is worth a photograph and a message to me.

You leave with written aftercare, the date of your two-week review and my direct contact details.

IS THIS FOR ME?

Is temple filler right for you?

The test is overhead light in a mirror: if there is a shadow between your outer brow and your hairline, your temples have hollowed, and filling them will change more than you expect.

A good candidate

A visible hollow at the temples. A brow tail that has dropped or an outer eye that hoods. A cheekbone that looks bony or harsh. A face that narrows above the cheeks. Gauntness after weight loss or with age. Genetic hollowing in a younger, slim or athletic face. Any skin type and tone.

Better with something first or alongside

Flat cheeks as well: temples and cheeks together, or temples first. A heavy brow: a brow lift with anti-wrinkle injections alongside. Loose brow skin: Sofwave. Whole-face deflation: Sculptra for the base, HA for the temples. A very thin face: staged over two visits.

Not suitable now

Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Active infection or skin disease at the temple. Certain autoimmune conditions and a history of serious filler reaction. Migraine with aura or temporal arteritis, discussed at consultation. Anyone unable to keep pressure off the temples for a week.

PRICING

What temple filler costs in London

Every price includes the consultation, the treatment with a premium CE-marked filler placed by cannula, written aftercare and a review at two weeks. The consultation is free if you decide not to go ahead. Multi-area treatments are priced below the per-millilitre rate.

Treatment	What it does	Price
Temple filler, 1 ml	One side, a mild hollow, or a top-up	£400
Temple filler, 2 ml	1 ml a side; the commonest treatment	£750
Temple filler, 3 ml	Deep hollows; usually over two visits	From £1,050
Temples and cheeks, 4 ml	The upper-face restoration	From £1,300
Temple filler with brow lift injections	Fill and lift the outer brow together	From £550
Sculptra, 2 vials	Whole-face collagen stimulation; the alternative for generalised deflation	£900

Prices are from the clinic price list. Across London, 1 ml of temple filler by a doctor is typically £400 to £600; the temple is an area where the injector’s anatomy training is worth more than the price of the syringe.

WHY US

Why choose Hampstead Aesthetics for temple filler

The temple is the filler area I teach most carefully, because the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery, the sentinel vein and the deep temporal vessels all run through it and the safe zone is small. I am a GMC-registered doctor (4418489), a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a GP with a master’s degree in aesthetic medicine, and I have trained other doctors and nurses in facial anatomy and filler technique for a decade as a trainer for Derma Medical and a faculty trainer for Stylage. Every assessment, every injection and every review is done by me, by cannula, on the bone, in the safe zone.

I stock Juvéderm, Restylane, Teosyal and Stylage so that the gel matches the layer, and hyaluronidase is on the shelf for every appointment. The clinic is on West End Lane in West Hampstead, NW6, two minutes from West Hampstead Jubilee line, Overground and Thameslink stations. Patients come from Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Kilburn, Primrose Hill and across North and West London.

AT HOME

What makes temple filler last

Stable weight, because the temples are the first place a large loss shows and the first to hollow again. Sunscreen, because ultraviolet breaks down hyaluronic acid and the temples get more sun than people think. Loose glasses, and no sleeping with the temple pressed into a hand or a hard pillow. No smoking, which halves the life of every filler. A retinoid at night through the prescription retinoid programme keeps the thin skin of the temple firm over the new shape. A photograph in overhead light once a year, so that a top-up is done when it is needed; most patients find eighteen months between treatments and need less each time.

PATIENT REVIEWS

What patients say

Google 4.8 ★★★★★

Dr Chike is a skilled injector and always careful not to overdo anything. When I started to notice a bit of volume loss and the first signs of stress on my face he helped restore my confidence.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Chike, he is professional and knowledgeable and truly skilled in facial anatomy and proportions. My results look natural and beautifully balanced.

Dr Chike is the only person I would trust with my treatments. He has vast experience, is kind and provides holistic care, I cannot recommend him more.

TRUSTED BRANDS

Clinically validated products we use

For the temple I use firm hyaluronic acid gels for deep placement on bone, Juvéderm Voluma, Restylane Lyft, Teosyal Ultra Deep and Stylage XL, and softer gels from the same ranges for the superficial fat layer. All are CE-marked and sourced through their authorised UK distributors with batch traceability. I am a faculty trainer for Stylage. I do not use permanent fillers or unbranded products.

WHO IS YOUR PRACTITIONER

Medical Governance & Practitioner Verification

Dr Chike Emeagi - GMC Registration No. 4418489

At Hampstead Aesthetics, every temple filler treatment is carried out by Dr Chike Emeagi, a fully registered medical doctor and GP whose qualifications and licence to practise are publicly verifiable.

MRCGP - Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
MRCS - Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
MSc Aesthetic Medicine - Postgraduate master's degree in aesthetic clinical practice
GMC Licensed - Full licence to practise, verifiable on the public medical register
Senior Trainer, Derma Medical; Faculty Trainer, Stylage

You are encouraged to verify Dr Chike’s registration directly on the https://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/4418489 GMC’s online medical register before booking. Any doctor practising without a valid GMC licence is doing so illegally.

DOCTOR LED TREATMENT

Why Doctor Led Matters

The frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery crosses the temple on its way to the forehead; the sentinel vein crosses it on its way to the eye; the middle and deep temporal vessels run beneath the muscle; and all of them connect, through the orbit, to the vessels of the eye. Filler in an artery here blocks the skin of the forehead or scalp or, rarely, the retina; filler pressing on the vein makes it bulge for as long as the filler lasts. The safe zone is a centimetre up from the orbital rim and a centimetre in from the temporal crest, deep on the bone, by cannula, slowly. The UK has no legal requirement for the person injecting your temple to know any of this.

At Hampstead Aesthetics I map the vessels before every temple treatment, place every syringe myself by cannula in the safe zone, watch the skin as I inject, and keep hyaluronidase, an anaphylaxis kit and a written occlusion protocol on the shelf. I hold the ACE complication management certification and every patient has my direct number.

YOUR SAFETY

Emergency Safety Protocols

Anaphylaxis kit on site — full adrenaline protocol for allergic reaction.
Hyaluronidase on site — reversal agent for hyaluronic acid filler and part of the vascular occlusion protocol.
ACE-certified practitioner — I hold emergency complication management certification.
999 escalation protocol — written procedures for emergency hospital transfer.

Every product and device is CE-marked and sourced from authorised UK distributors. The clinic holds full professional indemnity insurance covering all treatments.

CONSENT

Consent, Privacy & Your Rights

Before treatment you have a full written consultation covering medical history, contraindications, realistic outcomes and the specific risks of each treatment in your plan. Treatment only proceeds with informed, documented consent. If you have a concern, raise it with me directly; if it is not resolved, you can escalate to the General Medical Council.

Your consultation, treatment and review are all conducted by the same doctor. There are no hand-offs.

Reviewed September 2026. Dr Chike Emeagi, GMC No. 4418489. Regulatory position correct at date of review; licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England is subject to change.

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

What does temple filler do?

It refills the hollow between the outer brow, the hairline and the cheekbone that develops as the temporal fat pads shrink with age or weight loss. Restoring it smooths the outline of the face from forehead to cheek, lifts the tail of the brow, opens the outer eye, softens crow’s feet and stops a prominent cheekbone looking bony. The face looks fuller above the cheek and more rested, without any of its features changing.

How much does temple filler cost in London?

At Hampstead Aesthetics 1 ml is £400 and 2 ml, 1 ml a side, which is the commonest treatment, is £750, with the consultation, a premium filler placed by cannula and a two-week review included. Temples and cheeks together are from £1,300. Across London, 1 ml by a doctor is typically £400 to £600.

How long does temple filler last?

Twelve to eighteen months for most patients and two years for some, because the temple barely moves and the filler sits on bone. Top-ups usually need less than the first treatment. Weight loss shortens it; stable weight and sunscreen extend it.

How much temple filler do I need?

One millilitre a side restores a moderate hollow, which is most patients. A deep hollow in a thin face or after significant weight loss may need 1.5 ml a side, which I prefer to stage over two visits four weeks apart rather than over-fill. Genetic hollowing in a young face often needs less. I decide at consultation from the photographs.

Does temple filler lift the eyes and brow?

Yes, subtly. The tail of the brow rests on the temple, and when the temple hollows the brow sinks into the dip and the outer eye hoods. Refilling the temple lifts the brow tail by a millimetre or two and opens the outer eye, which is why patients say their eyes look more awake. For a bigger lift, a brow lift with anti-wrinkle injections or a fox eye thread lift is added.

Is temple filler safe?

In experienced medical hands, yes. The temple is one of the two areas on the face, with the nose, where the vessels make technique matter most: the superficial temporal artery and the sentinel vein cross it and connect to the eye. Safe treatment means placing the filler deep on the bone, by cannula, in the zone away from the vessels, slowly, with hyaluronidase on hand. I map the vessels before every treatment.

Does temple filler hurt?

Very little. Numbing cream is applied for fifteen minutes, the fillers contain lidocaine and the cannula passes through a single entry point, producing pressure rather than pain. Deep placement beneath the chewing muscle can leave the temple tender on chewing for a few days. The treatment takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Is there downtime after temple filler?

Little. Swelling for two or three days, occasionally a bruise at the entry point, and tenderness on chewing for a few days if the filler is placed deep. The main restriction is pressure: no glasses arms, tight hats, helmets or side sleeping on the temples for a week. Most patients go straight back to work.

Can temple filler help hollow temples at a young age?

Yes. Some people have genetically hollow temples from their twenties, particularly slim or athletic faces, and it gives the face a narrow, older look above the cheeks. Small volumes, often 0.5 to 1 ml a side, placed deep on the bone restore the curve and last a long time in a young face.

Temple filler or Sculptra?

Filler for a defined hollow you want corrected now, and for a first treatment, because it is immediate and reversible. Sculptra for a face that has deflated everywhere, over months, with a result that lasts two years or more. Many faces over fifty have both: Sculptra to rebuild the base and 1 ml of filler a side for the temple hollow itself.

Can temple filler be combined with cheek filler?

Yes, and it should be when both areas have hollowed, because filling the cheek alone makes a hollow temple look worse by contrast. Temples and cheeks together, 4 ml in total, are the upper-face restoration and are from £1,300.

Will temple filler look natural?

Yes. The temple is a flat area being returned to flat, so there is nothing to overdo. The result is a face whose outline runs in a curve again and whose brow sits a little higher, and nobody can identify the temples as the reason. Filler placed too superficially can bulge on chewing or push a vein forward, which is why I place it deep on the bone.

Is temple filler reversible?

Yes. Hyaluronic acid filler dissolves within 24 to 48 hours of an injection of hyaluronidase, which I keep on the shelf. My dissolving page explains the process.

How soon before an event should I have temple filler?

Two weeks at least, so that swelling has settled, the review has happened and any balancing is done. Three weeks if you will be wearing glasses or a hat for the occasion.

Where in London do you offer temple filler?

At Hampstead Aesthetics on West End Lane, West Hampstead, NW6, two minutes from West Hampstead Jubilee line, Overground and Thameslink stations. Patients come from Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Kilburn, Primrose Hill and across North and West London.

Arrange your temple filler consultation

If your face looks tired or gaunt above the cheeks, your outer brow has dropped or your cheekbones have started to look bony, a consultation with me examines the temples in overhead light, tells you honestly whether they are the cause, and quotes in writing. Patients come from West Hampstead, NW6 and across London. Related: Cheek fillers, Botox brow lift, Sculptra, Aged skin.

VISIT US

Our London Clinic

Nearest Tube: West Hampstead (Jubilee Line) · 2 min walk

Overground: West Hampstead Overground · 3 min walk

Parking: Pay & Display on West End Lane

Proudly serving clients from:

West Hampstead · Hampstead · Primrose Hill · St John’s Wood · Belsize Park · Camden · Swiss Cottage · Finchley Road · Maida Vale · Queen’s Park · Highgate · Kentish Town

Reviewed by Dr Chiké Emeagi, MBBS, MRCGP, MRCS, GMC No. 4418489.

Last reviewed September 2026. This page is for information only and does not replace a medical consultation. Results vary between individuals and are not guaranteed. All treatments carry potential risks, which are discussed before any procedure. Before-and-after photographs show individual patients and do not guarantee identical outcomes. Prices are taken from the clinic price list at the date of review. Hampstead Aesthetics, 269 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 1QS.