The Messy Business of Dissolving Filler

Instagram's unapologetic truth-teller, Dr. Ellen Gendler, gets real about dissolving the overfilled — from the skin side effects to the psychological toll to the hype around ultrasound.

Many moons ago, on a press trip, I was gifted a silver tin, its interior lined with delicate blends of essential oils. Engraved on the lid, in whimsical script, are the words: Explore everything. Keep the best.

It dawned on me recently that this sentiment sort of captures my approach to reporting. (Bear with me.) When interviewing experts, I cast a wide net and troll beneath the surface, collecting rare pearls. Very often, these conversations yield everything — a bounty of riches — but I’m inevitably forced to keep the best, to winnow my treasure down to the few sparkling quotes that best suit the story I’m writing.

What becomes of the rest? It gets filed away — in a drawer, in my brain — but I always wish I could divulge more than word counts allow. Which is part of the reason I launched this newsletter. Last month, for example, Aesthetics Unfiltered ran an uncut version of a discussion I had with plastic surgeon Dr. Christian Subbio for this TZR story. It’s currently my most-read post. (Y’all cherish this man.)

Since that Q&A resonated, I wanted to share another — this one with a similarly esteemed truth-teller, board-certified New York City dermatologist and Instagram sensation Dr. Ellen Gendler. A clinical associate professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Gendler isn’t your ordinary social media star. She is a constant voice of reason. Her content is fiery and unafraid. And since she’s not sponsored by (i.e. beholden to) any brand — a rarity in derm — when she recommends (or pooh-poohs) a product or treatment, we can trust that her intentions are pure.

Earlier this year, I interviewed Dr. Gendler about the fraught business of dissolving filler. (You can read the story here.) Once again, I plucked a few gems from our 45-minute call — and, boy, did they make the story shine! — but the remnants were equally compelling. Here, the unaired portion of my chat with Dr. Gendler, trimmed and polished for clarity.