Wrinkle Relief: Injectable Cosmetic Fillers - Part I

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
health of the skin
skill of the doctor
type of filler used

Uses

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: