How Fillers Became My Passion (Updated 2024)

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Young Dr. Mabrie studying

Whenever the topic of injectables is mentioned, I get enthusiastic. I’m excited to educate and share the possibilities of dermal fillers and BOTOX® with my San Francisco Bay Area patients and colleagues. Every day, I witness the positive impact injectables have on my patients’ lives, and I love spreading the word.

Non surgical dermal fillers are some of the most effective and versatile resources cosmetic surgeons have to help you look rejuvenated, refreshed, and revitalized. Dermal fillers like Restylane® and JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA are my essential tools to rejuvenate and contour the face and provide patients beautiful, natural-looking results.

The funny thing is… I wasn’t even sure I wanted to use dermal fillers when I began my career.

As a Facial Plastic Surgeon, Fillers Weren’t on My Radar

You see, I trained to be a board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. All of my focus was on being the best surgeon possible. That means I studied, trained, and performed a LOT of surgeries to get here. It was my life’s pursuit.

Dr. Mabrie in the O.R.

In most medical practices, dermal fillers are an adjunct to surgical procedures (if they are offered at all). There is a nurse or an assistant who performs the injections, usually not the surgeon. So, I had years of education, training, and OR time that dictated that a patient needed surgery to rejuvenate and/or improve their appearance. Now, I know that’s simply not the case; but 15+ years ago, the idea that fillers could replace or produce better outcomes than traditional surgery was radical.

My A-HA Moment

My paradigm shift came in 2006 from a patient consultation with a very specific aesthetic goal in mind. A vibrant woman in her 40s visited my office requesting dermal filler to make her cheeks “fuller.” Candidly, I thought her cheeks looked good. Her bone structure was great. Her skin was wrinkle-free. She wasn’t a candidate for a facelift, brow lift, or even BOTOX Cosmetic. I didn’t think I could help her. However, we decided to meet again, and she would bring some photos to aid our discussion.

As soon as I laid eyes on the photos of her younger self, I had the breakthrough, “ah-ha” moment. Her cheeks were rounder and higher on her face in her youth. I knew her concerns. That was the first time I became aware of one of beauty’s greatest challenges and the telltale sign of aging: volume deficit. Losing facial volume in her midface made her cheeks appear sunken. When the light shone across her face, especially under her eyes (tear trough), it caused shadowing, which made her look tired and aged.

Until that moment, using dermal fillers to restore missing volume in that anatomical area had never crossed my mind. The only surgical solution for that was a fat transplant procedure, but it got my mind working: Could dermal filler work in the tear trough and midface?

We decided to give it a try. The results changed my life and the lives of countless patients. That was the beginning.

A Few of Our Early Filler Patients

Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After
Before & After contouring for Our Early Filler Patients face shape
Before
After

Embracing Fillers to Offer More to My Patients

As with all life changes, I struggled with it – I pushed it back. I remember having a conversation with my long-time friend and practice manager, Susan Cole, about this new direction I was considering. Should we or could we steer our business to incorporating more filler treatments?

“Susie, I’m not sure about these fillers. I’m a surgeon.”

“Are you sure, Dr. Mabrie? I think dermal fillers can add something important to your practice,” she replied. “Can’t you do both?”

And I did. And, yes, Susan is still with the practice today!

Fillers + Facial Plastic Surgery Training = the Best of Both Worlds

Gradually, we began to offer patients an alternative to invasive surgery. Patients were excited about the opportunity to get results without downtime, results without general anesthesia, results that are instantaneous.

Along the way, I discovered that all my years of education, training, and surgical experiences provided a unique insight into treating patients with dermal fillers. I know precisely what non surgical alternatives can do in comparison to traditional surgical methods. I have in-depth knowledge of facial anatomy that allows me to treat technically challenging areas of the face. Combining the best of both worlds helps me to help patients realize the ideal version of their face.

Here’s what I know:

  1. Dermal fillers can create more natural results with less downtime compared to surgery.
  2. I really, really, really enjoy working with fillers. (Big smile).
  3. Filler formulations and my team’s injection techniques have developed to the point that I now focus exclusively on injectables, and I believe in most cases, filler results can rival and even surpass surgical results.

About the MFI Blog

I find that there are many concepts, advances, and results I want to share with you. My office team will give me practice insights:

  • “Dr. Mabrie, we’ve had so many men getting fillers lately.”
  • “Wow! JLo’s face looks incredible.”
  • “…strong chins are so key for everyone.…”

Sometimes, those bits and pieces inspire me. That’s why, with help from my wonderful team, I started this blog. In this forum, we can dive deep into many of these topics.

Here, I hope to educate people about dermal fillers, BOTOX, and overall facial attractiveness. You’ll find tips, advice, inspiration, and other cosmetic epiphanies that will help you along your pathway to the look you want.

Dr. Mabrie

I’m a strong believer that a picture is worth a thousand words (or more), so we’ll do our best to give you as many images and videos as possible.  I want you to see what I’m talking about, rather than read a wall of text.  Think of these words as a reading guide to complement what you are seeing.

Dermal fillers can improve our faces and self-esteem. They can have a large impact on our lives and our relationship with the world. I’ve spent the past 15 years focusing and refining that process. I am still pleasantly surprised by what can be accomplished non surgically.

I look forward to sharing these results and more with you here and having a little fun along the way.

Dr. David Mabrie

Dr. David Mabrie

Facial Plastic Surgeon & Founder of Mabrie Facial Institute Dr. David Mabrie is a recognized leader, innovator, and educator in the use of dermal fillers for facial sculpting and has dedicated his practice entirely to facial rejuvenation with injectables. Years of experience led Dr. Mabrie to pioneer the Illumination 360° approach, just one of the ways Dr. Mabrie brings life to his practice’s mantra: “your face, perfected.”

3 Responses to How Fillers Became My Passion (Updated 2024)

  • Rahim "Ryan" Azizzi says:

    Dr. Mabrie and his staff are beyond awesome! I had an appointment with him two days ago, and I didn’t experience any bruising or swelling (perhaps because I followed his post-treatment guide to the letter). I was speaking to a colleague just now, when she interrupted and said “WOW YOU LOOK SO HANDSOME! DID YOU LOSE WEIGHT OR SOMETHING? I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT YOU’RE REALLY LOOKING GOOD!”

    This was perhaps one of the BEST investments I ever made in myself! I put synthetic oil in my car. I make sure my daughters have the very best of everything, but this is the first time I got the VERY BEST for myself! I’m beyond impressed!

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