The Aesthetic MEET 2025: What to Know When Injecting in the Temple Region

The temple region has become a focal point in facial aesthetics, and the Aesthetic MEET 2025 delivered a masterclass for practitioners looking to refine their techniques. Moderated by Jason Bloom, MD, the session titled “Learn It Live: Masterclass in Facial Injections” offered an in-depth exploration of the topic, starting with a detailed anatomy lesson from Chris Surek, DO, FACS, a plastic surgeon practicing in Overland Park, Kansas. Following that presentation were live demonstrations from George Baxter-Holder, DNP; Jen Pilotte, NP; and Steve Weiner, MD.

“Knowledge is power,” Dr. Surek said during his presentation. “Educate yourself, and educate your patients on what’s happening in their face and what is happening with their anatomy.”

Dr. Surek shared the key points with practitioners injecting in the temples during his presentation, “What’s up with the Temple? The New ‘Space Race’ in Injectables.” This talk included clinical pearls to take away as well, including the four targets when injecting in the temple: one deep on the bone, two intermediate locations, and superficial areas.

“The fat compartments are allies for you in the face; the deep fat deflates as we age,” Dr. Surek explained. “If you go to a cadaver course, the deep fat is highly unimpressive. It’s wispy, it’s not very robust, and it deflates as we age. On the contrary, the subcutaneous fat is thick, rich, fibrofatty tissue that will descend in the anterior face (however, in the lateral face, it mostly stays put). It becomes a great recipient for product and to scuplt a temple. In the temple, we have this sometimes thick but rich, connected tissue fat which becomes an excellent substrate for the filler product.”

When discussing the process of temporal injections with your patients, explain that the injection camouflages the bony hollow, Dr. Surek said. He also noted the eight layers that practitioners should be aware of when injecting into the temporal area:

1. Bone

2. Temporal muscle, which is thick, rich, red muscle and very strong.

3. Deep temporal fascia, which belongs to that temporal muscle.

4. Intermediate temporal fat pad, which Dr. Surek described as a “beautiful fat pad tucked away between the two fascia.”

5. Interfascial plane.

6. The superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) or superficial temporal fascia (where the superficial temporal artery is located.)

7. Superficial temporal fat, which is thick, rich, yellow fibrous fat. As patients age, this becomes an optimal target for injectables, sitting right below the skin.

8. Skin.

“People overcomplicate it,” Dr. Surek said. “For the injector, keep it simple. Keep it straightforward and focus on your targets.”

Alyssa Adams