For as long as patients have yearned for the proverbial fountain of youth, doctors have searched for a way to deliver it to them. For decades, dermal wrinkle fillers have been used to provide a youthful appearance by restoring volume to wrinkled areas. These results, though promising, have been temporary at best and have not assisted with the production of elastin, until now.
New discoveries dictate that there may be a way to use wrinkle fillers to help reproduce elastin in the skin. With the potential to increase production of elastin in the skin, this will, more than likely result in some major changes for the filler industry. Up and coming fillers, as well as those seeking FDA approval such as Juvederm Volbella and Volift, may consider making some adjustments. The opportunity here is about fillers that do more than make the skin look good short term but actually improve skin quality. The day is forthcoming for an injectable that will reverse and replace what aging skin has lost.
Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Steven Fagien of Boca Raton, FL. infers that space in time is nearer than we think. His method of injecting diluted filler directly into the dermis, has shown the potential to be essential to producing elastin. When improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the skin, Dr. Fagien dilutes Hyaluronic Acid (HA) fillers such as Juvederm and uses smaller needles and injects the HA into the superficial dermis. Since Juvederm is intended to be a subcutaneous filler, altering the concentration makes the filler more suitable for the mid or superficial dermis. With this approach patients are seeing results that last up to a year or longer. The results were different when these filler were used in traditional methods. This procedure seems to give an uptick in elastin production and gives the skin a more improved look that simply creating volume does not provide. However, studies have not determined how long the product must stay in the skin to maintain regular production of elastin.
Dr. Fagien reminds us that, “in a complete facial rejuvenation treatment, all components should be addressed. With the challenge of the aging face, the skin remains the most important aspect. We now understand that what’s missing from skin is elasticity. This method of treatment gave the skin noticeable improvement. It had a softer, yet firmer appearance and a greater elasticity.” So, can you use fillers to rebuild lost elastin? It looks like we’re getting there!
