The Dichotomy Of Dermal Fillers: When Does The Biostimulatory Response Become One Of Regeneration Versus One Of Replacement?
Since the advent of injectable dermal fillers, the quest for the perfect filler has been a lofty goal. The perfect filler would integrate smoothly into tissue, cause minimal oedema and inflammation, be easily reversible, be devoid of any type of foreign body response, be non-allergenic, be stable and predictable, breaking down into to nonimmunogenic particles and be naturally absorbed or dissolved without incident. Unfortunately, such a filler does not exist. Since the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of injectable bovine collagen in the early 1980s, dozens of injectable filling agents have been developed; but history has taught us that new technologies must be used with care because complications can occur, sometimes many years after treatment (Kontis and Rivkin, 2009).
(more…)