Wrinkle Fillers

Injectable wrinkle fillers are soft tissue fillers approved as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help fill in facial wrinkles, restoring a smoother appearance. Most of these injectable wrinkle fillers are temporary, because they are eventually absorbed by the body. FDA has approved only one product that remains in the body permanently and is not absorbed.

These injectable wrinkle fillers are made of various types of materials and some include a combination of these materials. Some of these products also contain lidocaine, which numbs the skin at the site of injection.

The materials used in injectable wrinkle fillers include:

Temporary – absorbable fillers

• Collagen injections are made of highly purified cow (bovine) or human collagen. Collagen is a natural protein that is a major component of skin and other tissues in the body

• Hyaluronic acid gel is a protective, lubricating gel that is produced naturally by the body and binds with water to plump the skin.

• Calcium Hydroxylapatite is a mineral that is a major component of bone. Calcium Hydroxylapatite is a well-matched (biocompatible with living systems) material that dissolves in the body (biodegradable) and is implanted in the form of a gel.

• Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible synthetic polymer from the alpha-hydroxy-acid family that has been widely used for many years in dissolvable stitches and bone screws.

Permanent – non-absorbable fillers

•  Polymethylmethacrylate beads (PMMA microspheres) are tiny round, smooth plastic particles that have been tested to be biocompatible. These microspheres are not absorbed by the body.