Fillers 101 With Injector Denise Santoli + How to Spot Gaslighting

Written by Sandra Silverman | Nov 11, 2025 5:01:56 PM

People ask me daily if fillers are a good idea. The real answer is that it depends on what you want to fix and who is doing the work. I love a refreshed, defined face that still looks like me. I do not love a swollen, overfilled “pillow” look.

On the show, injector Denise Santoli helped me put clear language to what I have learned the hard way. Skin laxity and true volume loss are different problems. Hyaluronic acid fillers can gloss things over, yet they can also blur definition when they are overused or stacked before the last round has faded. Bio-stimulators like Radiesse create structure and stimulate your own collagen and elastin. Sculptra is slower, collagen-only, and can form nodules when it is misused or placed in the wrong zones. I made mistakes years ago and paid for them. Today my approach is light, strategic, and restorative.

Here is what works for me now:

  • Match the product to the problem. Laxity needs lift and structure. Volume loss needs careful placement.

  • Keep doses conservative and give time between sessions so you avoid migration.

  • Dissolve excess before big surgical steps like a facelift. Clean canvas, better result.

  • Protect results with healthy habits so you are not chasing filler to fix lifestyle choices.

We also talked about gaslighting in relationships and friendships. Gaslighting makes you question your own reality until you apologize for things you did not do. I lived through it. I carried shame that was never mine. Healing started when I chose self-respect over approval. One honest conversation is fair. Repeated manipulation is a decision point. You are allowed to walk away.

My takeaways for you

- Ask your injector to explain the plan: product, placement, purpose, and expected fade time.

- Say no to overfilling. Structure beats swelling.

- In love and friendship, watch actions, not excuses. Self-love is the boundary.

- Choose you, in the mirror and in your life.


If this resonated, listen to the full conversation on the Party’s Over podcast or watch the episode on YouTube. For straight talk and tools you can use, get my book From Bullshit to Botox.