The "smile-and-fill" injection technique: a dynamic approach to midface volumization

Injectable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, synthetic polymer that acts as a scaffold to promote collagen formation and is FDA-approved for the correction of facial lipoatrophy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The safety and efficacy of injec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of drugs in dermatology Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 288
Main Authors Wang, Audrey S, Babalola, Olubukola, Jagdeo, Jared
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.2014
Subjects
Cosmetic Techniques
Face
HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome - pathology
HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Syndrome - therapy
Humans
Lactic Acid - administration & dosage
Male
Middle Aged
Polyesters
Polymers - administration & dosage
Rejuvenation
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Injectable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, synthetic polymer that acts as a scaffold to promote collagen formation and is FDA-approved for the correction of facial lipoatrophy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The safety and efficacy of injectable PLLA for the treatment of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy has been demonstrated in clinical studies and is accompanied by improvement in patient quality of life. Volumization of the mid-face is regarded as complex. The importance of respecting patient mid-face differences at rest and in motion was highlighted in a study that demonstrated effectiveness of silicone microdroplets (0.01 mL) in a depot manner to treat HIV patients with facial lipoatrophy. One of the challenges of facial volume rejuvenation with these techniques is preserving and enhancing dynamic facial movements after treatment. To address this challenge, we developed an injection technique termed "smile-and-fill." In this case series, we describe three patients treated by this technique to restore the malar aspect of the mid-face with improvement several months post-treatment.
ISSN:1545-9616