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In the quest for youth—or at least a more youthful appearance—women and men are seeking treatments to minimize laugh lines, crow's feet, and forehead furrows. A popular treatment involves injecting cosmetic wrinkle fillers into the face.
Injectable cosmetic wrinkle fillers are soft tissue fillers approved as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These devices are injected into the skin to help fill in facial wrinkles, restoring a smoother appearance. Most of these wrinkle fillers are temporary because they are eventually absorbed by the body.
Some people may need more than one injection to achieve the wrinkle-smoothing effect. The effect lasts for about six months or longer.
Successful results depend on
FDA has approved absorbable injectable cosmetic wrinkle fillers for correcting soft tissue contour defects, such as moderate and severe wrinkles and folds. Some absorbable fillers are approved for restoring or correcting the signs of facial fat loss in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The only non-absorbable FDA-approved injectable cosmetic wrinkle filler is for correcting facial tissue around the mouth.
FDA-approved cosmetic wrinkle fillers should not be used for
Wrinkle fillers are made of various types of materials, and some include a combination of products. Some products also contain lidocaine, which numbs the skin at the injection site.
The materials used in injectable cosmetic wrinkle fillers include
Temporary (absorbable) fillers
Permanent (non-absorbable) filler
Getting injected with cosmetic wrinkle fillers is an elective procedure. As with any medical procedure, it poses risks.
Possible side effects include
Most side effects occur shortly after injection and go away within seven days. In some cases, side effects may emerge weeks, months, or years later. A non-absorbable filler may cause long-term side effects.
You should not use cosmetic wrinkle fillers if any of the following applies to you:
Before deciding to get injected with a cosmetic wrinkle filler:
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Health Information Web page (www.fda.gov/consumer), which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products. Sign up for free e-mail subscriptions at www.fda.gov/consumer/consumerenews.html.
Botox Cosmetic is an injectable drug, but it is not a wrinkle filler. Instead of filling the wrinkle, it keeps muscles from tightening so the wrinkles don’t show as much. FDA has approved Botox Cosmetic only to treat wrinkles between the eyebrows.
Get the Facts: Botox
www.fda.gov/womens/getthefacts/botox.html
Adverse Reactions Linked to Botox
www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/botox020808.html
Medical Device Approvals: Wrinkle Fillers
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfTopic/consumer/index.cfm?topic=1038
Laser Facts: Wrinkle Treatment
www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/laserfacts.html#2
Your Guide to Reporting Problems to FDA
www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/reporting_guide061008.html
Date Posted: June 26, 2008