
Focus on Fillers
By Alix J. Charles, MD, FAAD
Dermal fillers refer to a group of injectable products that can be used for aesthetic correction of lines, wrinkles and hollowing of the face. The first, and perhaps best known, member of this product group was collagen. Collagen first came to market over 20 years ago and was found to be an excellent product to help enhance lips and also fill very fine lines. Unfortunately, the results would only last 1 – 3 months and the lack of competitive products made it fairly costly. This and the need for allergy testing prior to its use was the driving force behind research to develop alternatives.