The number of commercially-available injectable fillers continues to expand. Most injectable fillers that are available today, and into the near future, are hyaluron or hyaluronic acid-based (HA) due to its human compatability and lack of any significant complications. HA is a sugar molecule well known to the human body being present in much of the body as an intercellular matrix material and in such as areas as the fluid in the eyeball. As a result, no skin test is needed prior to its injection and it goes away much slower than traditional collagen.\
The Mentor Corporation has just released PREVELLE SILK for commerical use. This is a new line of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers and it contains 0.3% Lidocaine. It is very soft gel that flows in easily and is more comfortable due to its addition of the local anesthetic lidocaine. Due to its soft gel density, there is less likelihood that there will be ridging or lumping. Between its easy flow into the skin and the comfort factor of the lidocaine, there should be less of a chance of any bruising or swelling. Hence the marketing slogan….Today For Tonight….get injected in the afternoon and look completely normal for that evening.
When there are so many injectable fillers now available, the bottom line question for patients is……how long does it last and at what cost? There is where Prevelle Silk has a patient niche in my opinion. Based on the clinical studies and FDA submission data, Prevelle Silk will last about 3 to 4 months, probably comparable to Restylane but certainly less than JuvaDerm, Perlane, Radiesse or ArteFill. But the cost to the patient (in my practice) for a .75ml syringe is also less than all other injectable fillers at $425. (Juvaderm $550, Radiesse $850, ArteFill $1,250) This creates an injectable filler option at a very affordable price. So a woman can have her lips done with a smooth, minimally uncomfortable injectable filler at a very reasonable price. Like coffee, you can have Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts….or…..you get (in terms of longevity) what you pay for.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana