Hollow temples: why they form and what fills them
Seen from the front, the area just outside the end of the brow can sink in and make the upper face look narrow and drawn. It gets less attention than hollow cheeks, but it accounts for a good part of that “why do I look so tired lately” feeling.
The short answer
Hollow temples come from age, weight loss and the face you were born with. For filling them, there are randomised trials of hyaluronic acid filler and PLLA. In the hyaluronic acid trial, 80.4% improved by one grade or more at three months (13.5% untreated) and it lasted over a year. In a 174-person PLLA trial, 96.5% improved at six months (0%). Large blood vessels run through the temple, so setting the depth and position matters. At Miso Clinic, 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ. Hospital Station), +82-53-428-2700, I consider dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler first for the temples too.
Why do temples hollow?
The temple is bone covered by a thin layer of muscle and fat. With age, that fat and muscle shrink, and big weight loss shows it sooner. People with long faces and wide cheekbones can look hollow there even when young.
When the temple hollows, the end of the brow loses its support and looks lower, and the cheekbones stand out by contrast. The upper face narrows and the whole impression sharpens.
I couldn't find a study splitting the causes of hollow temples by percentage. In clinic, age and weight change together are common.
How well does temple filler work, and how long does it last?
| Material | Study | Result | Caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyaluronic acid | Randomised 2:1 against no treatment | 80.4% vs 13.5% at 3 months, held to 13 months | Manufacturer-employed authors |
| PLLA | 174 people randomised against no treatment | 96.5% vs 0% at 6 months, followed 12 months | Injected over 2–3 sessions |
| Hyaluronic acid | 20 people, 12 months | Improved at every visit, side effects resolved within 2 weeks | No control group, single centre |
All three studies showed fairly clear effects. The numbers belong to that product and that technique, though. I don't transfer them to other products.
Hyaluronic acid fills straight away and can be dissolved, so it's an easier first step. PLLA fills gradually over months, needs several sessions and can't be dissolved.
Is temple filler risky?
Large blood vessels run through both the shallow and deep layers of the temple. So I decide which layer to use and whether to use a needle or a blunt cannula before starting. I prefer to inject in small amounts over more than one pass rather than all at once.
Aching in the temple when chewing and swelling are common afterwards and usually settle within a few days to two weeks. If the skin turns white or blotchy during or right after treatment, or your vision changes, tell us immediately.
Can Juvelook or other boosters fill the temples?
Collagen-stimulating boosters are sometimes used in the temples, and the PLLA trial belongs to that family. I didn't find a randomised trial in the temples for other materials such as Juvelook in this search.
For deep hollows I shape with hyaluronic acid first, and if thin skin leaves the surface uneven, I consider a booster on top.
→ More: Juvelook
Can massage or exercise fill the temples?
I couldn't find research showing massage or chewing exercises fill the temples. You may hear that building the chewing muscles plumps them, but I couldn't find evidence for that either.
A small study found the temple muscle thickened after jaw Botox, while another found no such change. If you're having jaw Botox, I look at the temples too.
→ More: Hollow front and side cheeks: why they form and what fills them
Hollow temples FAQ
How much filler goes into the temples?
It depends on how hollow they are and how wide your face is. I'd rather inject in stages and review at two weeks than fill everything at once.
My temples ache when I chew after filler.
Filler sits over the temple muscle, so chewing can ache for a few days. If it gets worse or the skin changes colour, contact us right away.
Will filling only the temples make a difference?
Many people look softer once the end of the brow has support. If the cheeks are hollow too, though, temples alone change less.
Where can I get a hollow temples consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic, 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook Nat'l Univ. Hospital Station), +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Randomised trial of hyaluronic acid in the temples — Montes JR et al. Improvement in Temple Hollowing with VYC-20L. Plast Reconstr Surg 2025;156(1):25e-36e. PMID 39808069. Includes manufacturer-employed authors.
- Randomised trial of PLLA in the temples — Chang G et al. Aesthet Surg J 2026;46(6):652-62. PMID 41637104. 174 people.
- 12-month study of hyaluronic acid in the temples — Moradi A et al. J Drugs Dermatol 2013;12(4):470-5. PMID 23652897. 20 people.
- Temple muscle after jaw Botox — Liao X et al. J Craniofac Surg 2025;36(6):1921-5. PMID 40233307 (10 people, temporalis thickened) / Lee CJ et al. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007;120(3):769-78. PMID 17700130 (10 people, no compensatory enlargement).
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic practice guidelines — Botox is offered for all areas; for hollow cheeks, dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler is considered first; no RF treatment that day if there are metal or electronic implants, pregnancy or skin inflammation; only absorbable threads are used and the plan is kept conservative for patients aged 50 and over; liposuction is not performed.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.