Fillers for Faces

Fillers for Faces. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. Putting on your best face is getting decidedly high-tech these days with the brisk growth of the cosmetic “filler” market. Physicians – most of them dermatologists and plastic surgeons – are using a number of FDA-approved products to fill facial wrinkles, scars, grooves and valleys.

The newest addition to the trend is Restylane™, a newly approved agent containing hyaluronic acid, one of the components of the human skin’s dermis – its foundation. This particular product is not derived from animal sources – it’s made in a laboratory, packed clear and smooth in syringes and shipped to the doctors’ offices where, for $500 to $600 in most places, it can be injected into the face. Once there, it stays in place for months, filling in what the “faceholder” considers a cosmetic hindrance.

In addition to Restylane™, there are numerous other fillers: Zyplast™ and CosmoDerm™ brands of collagen; plus other products either approved specifically for cosmetic uses or FDA-approved for other medical uses but considered by the physician safe to use as cosmetic filler. Some products – like Zyplast™ collagen require a prior skin testing; others do not. Some products last 2 to 3 months; others up to a year or more before needing re-injection. If you want to learn more; your dermatologist or plastic surgeon can – fill you in. For a copy of this script, access our website, www.speakingofhealth.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis for CBS News.