Skin augmentation and correction: the new generation of dermal fillers—A dermatologist's experience

Abstract 

The use of dermal fillers for soft-tissue augmentation has increased greatly in recent years, as patients seek nonsurgical and less invasive options for facial rejuvenation. Since the United States Food and Drug Administration approval of bovine collagen in 1981, the number of dermal fillers available for restoration of age-related facial volume loss has expanded considerably. The most widely used primary components of dermal fillers include bovine and human collagens, hyaluronic acids, polymethylmethacrylate, and autologous fat. Although these agents produce satisfactory short-term or long-lasting cosmetic results, they are merely space-filling agents and do not address the age-related changes in collagen synthesis and activity that underlie the volume loss characteristic of the aging face.