As Kylie Jenner, 26, is trolled for looking 'in her 40s', dermatologists reveal how fillers can create an 'unnatural' appearance that plays tricks on the eyes
- Generation Z may be ageing faster due to tweakements and skincare
- READ MORE: Bianca Censori's rocking pink hair like Marie Antoinette, Kurt Cobain and Kylie Jenner before her
When Kylie Jenner stepped out at the Jean Paul Gaultier show at Paris Fashion Week in January having ditched her trademark heavy makeup, fans couldn't help but zero in on how her face looked without a thick layer of contour.
And in the latest episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the beauty mogul broke down in tears as she recalled how trolls said she looked 'in her 40s' in the pictures because of her stripped-back makeup.
Kylie, who has vehemently denied getting fillers, was particularly hurt that fans and professionals speculated that she had used too much below her eyes and over her cheek bones.
One cruelly asked: 'What did Kylie Jenner do to her face? I just read she's only 26 but she looks old as hell here.'
Another — in a comment viewed 25million times — said: 'We're seeing in real time what long term filler usage does as you age'. On a similar theme, one claimed it was 'crazy' how such injections had 'ruined' her youthfulness.
Internet trolls believe that filler has aged Kylie Jenner, despite her never confirming she's had the treatment done. Here, FEMAIL reveals whether getting filler in your 20s can age you...
Kylie, now dating Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet, has strenuously denied ever getting filler, telling the Wall Street Journal last year that she had 'never touched my face'.
Yet in 2015, after months of intense internet speculation, Kylie did admit to getting injections to plump her lips, revealing that her thin lips were an 'insecurity of mine'.
While there's no proof Kylie has resorted to the 'tweakment', anyone using filler to try and halt the march of time should be wary.
Such fillers — typically injections of collagen or hyaluronic acid — are offered in beauty clinics for as little as £75. They are supposed to add volume or reduce wrinkles, with effects lasting for up to 18 months.
But younger people can end up with the opposite effect and actually looking older than their years.
For instance, spokesman for the British Skin Foundation and dermatologist Dr Emma Wedgeworth has cautioned that tweakments can give disproportional results and 'can often look unnatural' in younger people.
She said: 'Dermal fillers were originally used to compensate for volume loss in ageing faces. When they are used for augmentation in younger people or to change original features, it can often look unnatural.
'Our eye interprets this as looking older, in the same way as seeing heavy makeup on young children — it looks slightly inappropriate and out of place.'
Kylie Jenner's look from the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show (pictured) at Paris Fashion Week in January sparked the debate
She broke down in tears on this week's episode of The Kardashians after internet trolls said she looked 'old' in unfiltered pictures taken at Paris Fashion Week back in January
The makeup mogul was hurt that fans pointed out diagonal lines running through her plump cheeks, which they said could indicate too much filler use
She added: 'It's as yet unknown whether there are long term effects of having dermal filler from a very young age.
'However, as fillers become more common in young people, I think we are certainly starting to see a real distortion in the norms of the ideal facial proportion.
'Dermal fillers are an excellent treatment when used in the right hands, but it's important they are used with caution.'
Fellow consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne, who sits on the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group, said 'problems occur whenever quite large amounts of filler is being used'.
She told MailOnline: 'They used to say these fillers will dissolve and the body will gobble them up, you won't have them after six months, nine months or one year.
'But I do MRI scans on my patients three, four or five years later [after they have had filler], and I still see fillers there.
'I'll be operating, removing skin cancer from a patient and I'll say, "Have you had filler here?" and they say, "I haven't had filler for ten years". But it's still there. I can see it in the skin.'
Fans have claimed that the Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown (pictured), 20, has received filler, but she has never claimed to have had tweakments
Fans have claimed that Billie Eilish has had lip filler, but the pop singer (pictured at Independent Spirit Awards in February) says she overlines her lips with makeup
Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter's glamorous makeup look can often conceal the fact she's only 25
'Hyaluronic acid draws water into it and it expands more than what you've put in. So it gets bigger at those areas. That allows for additional volume to the face.
'But what it also does is it can block the lymphatic drainage, and particularly around the eyes, you see this.
'So where filler will have been placed, it can block where the normal fluid would be able to drain away from the skin. You end up seeing things a little bit puffier or a lot puffier in some cases.'
Regular filler — 'every six months, for example' — will also 'create a build-up because some of these products are increasingly designed to last for a longer period of time', she told MailOnline.
Additionally, aesthetics experts have explained additional reasons why influencers in their late teens and early twenties look decades older than those in the past.
'Overuse or unnecessary application of filler and toxins at a young age may affect the natural facial development, causing younger patients to look older than they are,' celebrity cosmetics doctor Dr Rasha Rakhshani-Moghadam told FEMAIL.
Dr Sophie Shotter, who runs Medical Cosmetic Skin Clinic in London, added that it's down to 'lifestyle and beauty trends' that are prematurely ageing Gen Z.
'We can't necessarily say if this reflects in their actual biological age, but certainly in their appearance.
'I think, perhaps having wrinkle relaxing injectables and fillers too young and embarking on an approach that homogenises faces is partly responsible, especially with the reality TV and influencer cohort of celebrities.
'There's a right age to embark on treatments, and for most people it isn't before the age of 30 for age management reasons.
'There are very few people under this age who will truly benefit from wrinkle relaxing injections at younger ages, although there are some and it has to be decided on a case by case basis.
'Having these treatments before they're truly needed can sometimes make someone appear older (in the wrong hands) with an almost mask like appearance,' she added.
Leading London aesthetic doctor, Dr Joney De Souza, added that growing up on social media adds to this effect.
While millennial are the first generation to have grown up online, Gen Z, has had social media in their lives from childhood, adding to insecurities and seeing them seeking more treatments.
TikTok and Instagram influencer Alix Earle (pictured) could pass for older than her age - 23 - and has admitted to getting lip filler
'They are having aesthetic treatments at an earlier age including dermal fillers and even plastic surgery, which can often distort their appearance in order to achieve their unrealistic ambition to match their filtered ideals,' he added.
Dr Sophie Shotter said that trends also play a role. While millennials are known for a more natural make-up look, leaving behind garish orange foundation and concealer lips in the noughties, Gen Z tends lean towards a full glam look.
'These heavily contoured and made-up looks do make people look almost mask-like rather than more beautiful.
'And I think maybe that's the key - this mask type appearance is what makes some look older,' Dr Sophie said.
Meanwhile, lifestyle factors are also at play. While millennials, often dubbed the 'wellness generation' drink and smoke less than any other generations, Gen Z-ers vape more than any age group.
A scroll through TikTok will offer accounts from vendors advertising a selection of the 'bars' on offer, with the 'vapinguk' tag amassing some millions of views; peanuts compared with the three billions views under '#vaping' and 16.6 million under '#vapingtricks'.
Moreover, a report from Action On Smoking And Health (ASH) found that this year, seven per cent of 11- 17-year-olds were users compared with 3.3 per cent in 2021 and 4.1 per cent in 2020.
And while skincare can be incredibly important in anti-ageing, many skincare brands are targeting younger people who don't need retionoid products.
Dr Ross Perry- Medical Director of Cosmedics skin clinics told FEMAIL: 'It is a good idea to start a skincare regime from a teenager, but the products used should be aimed at not just your skin type but also age appropriate.
'For example, retinol isn't something you should be using in your 20s as it's too harsh for young skin, and not only will it cause irritation, but could well damage the skin down the line.
'Again, marketing is at an all time high, especially with the promotion and false promises on things like Tik Tok shops.
Dr Sophie Shotter added: 'Most children and teens will benefit from starting a routine in the very earliest stages of puberty.
'And it's been shown that most girls are now starting this process in primary school, with girls as young as eight starting their periods and primary age girls in particular suffering with breakouts.
'The key is to use a very simple skin routine from this young age to build a habit of cleansing, moisturising and a sunscreen, not applying fragrance products or too many products with active-ingredients.
'But we have to acknowledge that a skin routine is beneficial at this stage of life for helping to prevent acne - it just comes down to the right product choices. As always, taping into experts for their advice is key.'
Even pre-teens are getting into skincare sooner than ever and the beauty industry is recognising Generation Alpha as an increasingly important customer base.
The age group, encompassing those born between 2010 to 2024, is renowned for its strong connection to digital media and technology, having never known a world without iPhones, WiFi and social media.
Children as young as seven are now becoming influencers and sharing their beauty routines, with experts saying skincare is not a luxury but a 'part of daily life'.
Dr Saniyya Mahmood, Aesthetic Doctor & Medical Director of Aesthetica Medical Clinic added: 'Young people are increasingly incorporating anti-ageing products and treatments into their beauty regimes these days. Make up trends have a big impact on teenagers looking a lot older.
'Social media like Tik Tok also plays a huge role. The latest TikTok trend ''aged filter'' reveals our generation's unhealthy attitude towards ageing. This filter shows you an aged version of yourself.'
'However, while it may not be physically dangerous for a fourteen year old using some of these products it is concerning how self-critical children are these days.
'Using retinol may even be prescribed to help clear acne, but it has to be consulted with a healthcare provider first before staring any retinoids at that age.
'As our skins starts to change during puberty, many dermatologists often recommend using skin care products around age 12, or whenever puberty starts.
'Taking care of our skin from an early age will lead to healthier skin for the long term. However, it is important to understand what products teenagers are using and why they are using these products.
'A 14-year-old for example doesn't require a complicated skin regime, definitely nothing that is anti-ageing at the age. Using a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and SPF is more than enough for most teenagers.