BACKGROUND Cosmetic procedures are growing ever more common, and the use of soft tissue fillers is increasing. Practicing physicians need to be aware of the biological behavior of these products in tissue to enable them to respond to any safety concerns that their patients raise. OBJECTIVES To provide an overview of the metabolism of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE)-crosslinked hyaluron...

Our improved understanding of the pathophysiology of facial lines, wrinkles, and furrows has broadened the treatment options for a variety of facial cosmetic blemishes. The persistence or recurrence of certain facial rhytids after surgery has confirmed the lack of full comprehension of their origin. Glabellar forehead furrows (frown lines) and lateral canthal rhytids (crow's feet) have been the...

Facial lipoatrophy refers to the loss of subcutaneous fat tissue presenting by flattening or indentation of convex contour of the face. Facial lipoatrophy is a feature of the normal ageing process. It may be also a manifestation of chronic diseases, most frequently it affects HIV-infected individuals treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and may constitute a complication of ...

BACKGROUND VYC-17.5L (17.5 mg/mL hyaluronic acid, 0.3% lidocaine) is a dermal filler intended for deep dermis injection for the treatment of skin depressions. OBJECTIVE To evaluate 12-month effectiveness and safety of VYC-17.5L for the treatment of moderate/severe nasolabial folds (NLFs). METHODS Subjects ≥18 years old with moderate/severe NLFs were recruited (N = 70). Injected volume was a...

BACKGROUND Facial aesthetics and rejuvenation are evolving rapidly due to changes in products, procedures, and patient demographics. Clinicians can benefit from ongoing guidance on products, tailoring treatments to individual patients, treating multiple facial areas, and using combinations of products and ways to optimize outcomes. METHODS A multidisciplinary group of aesthetic treatment expe...

Non-surgical treatment of facial aging can be described from various perspectives by the nature of the deformity, by the skin layer in which the pathology occurs, or by the technique used to address it. Because of the many causes of rhytids, in as much as various anatomic locations that respond differently to treatment and over time the effects of aging coincide and overlap and so, the optimal ...

Nonsurgical esthetic improvement of the upper arms is a desirable goal for many individuals. Radiesse(®) (calcium hydroxylapatite) is an effective dermal filler for a number of indications because of its volumizing effect and the ability to stimulate neocollagenesis. No studies have reported on its safety and effectiveness for the treatment of the upper arm. In a prospective, open-label study, ...

TO THE EDITOR: It was with great interest that I read the Juvéderm injectable gel study by Pinsky et al1 published in the January/February 2008 issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal. As a plastic surgeon who desires to offer safe and effective injectable filling agents to my patients, the article appeared timely and pertinent. However, as I was reading the article, the proprietary wording of the d...

BACKGROUND Juvéderm Volbella with Lidocaine is a new hyaluronic acid dermal filler. METHODS In this prospective, randomized, multicenter study, 280 subjects desiring lip volume enhancement were treated with Juvéderm Volbella with Lidocaine or Restylane-L. Investigators rated treatment outcomes on Allergan's Lip Fullness Scale, Perioral Lines Scale, and Oral Commissures Severity Scale. A blind...

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring biodegradable polymer with a variety of applications in medicine, including scaffolding for tissue engineering, dermatological fillers and viscosupplementation for osteoarthritis treatment. HA is available in most connective tissues in body fluids such as synovial fluid and the vitreous humor of the eye. HA is responsible for several structural prop...