A surgeon's TikTok shows what lip filler actually looks like outside of the skin

• A medical professional showed what lip filler actually looks like outside the skin in a TikTok.
• Dr. Luis Macias of Aesthetic Mdr spoke with Insider about the clip and fillers themselves.

Though face and lip fillers have become increasingly popular in recent years, people aren't always familiar with the actual material that's injected into the skin.

That's why the team at Aesthetic MdR, a cosmetic enhancement practice in Marina Del Rey, California, shared a video to TikTok that shows exactly what one syringe of filler contains.

The clip, which was posted on December 29, 2021, has since been viewed nearly 11 million times.

Speaking with Insider, Dr. Luis Macias said many patients worry that one syringe of filler is "a large amount" that could add "too much volume" and create an "overfilled look" in their lips.

Inspired by that common concern, Aesthetic MdR's physician assistant, Mona Seresht, had the idea to give people perspective by filling a spoon with that exact amount of filler, Macias said.

Aesthetic MdR uses hyaluronic-acid fillers, which are reversible and can be used both in the lips and face. According to Macias, one syringe of filler is a pretty standard amount regardless of where it's being injected.

"The cheeks, under-eyes, and chin augmentations usually require one syringe per side," Macias said. "But if we're doing the jawline, that will take sometimes four, five, or six syringes."

When it comes to consistency, Macias explained that fillers are made "to feel as natural as possible" in the skin.

"It's very important it's not a liquid, otherwise it would run everywhere and wouldn't stay where you want it," he said of fillers. "Their chemistry is also so that they move more and look more natural than a solid filler that wouldn't move as much."

That's why if a procedure is done well, according to Macias, you shouldn't be able to "feel too much" of the filler in the skin.

"It blends in with the tissue pretty well," he said.

As many TikTok users pointed out in the comment section, that small amount of filler can cost hundreds of dollars. But as Macias said, it's not necessarily the syringe you're paying for.

"The syringe is just part of the deal," he said. "What you're really paying for is the expertise of the person who's doing this."

That's why, regardless of the type of filler you choose to get or the amount, Macias says it's important to be careful when deciding where to get injections done.

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there doing this kind of stuff," he said. "There are dentists doing fillers and nurses without any sort of supervision at these medi-spas that offer Groupons."

Macias says one problem with visiting those locations is that many don't keep hyaluronidase — a reversing agent that can save patients' skin when there's an issue — on hand.

"There are risks with these injections, so you have to have a lot of hyaluronidase on hand — at least six vials," he said. Macias also added that vials are expensive and expire over time, so they must be continuously replaced.

"If something should happen, practices should know what to do in order to help out," he said

That's why Macias recommends reading reviews and looking at before-and-after portfolios.

"Make sure you go to an experienced place, and that you have a qualified master injector who's going to be doing it," he said. "Then start slow. The lips are a good place to start."