There have been numerous injectable fillers for facial use that have become commercially available since 2002 when the product concept was introduced. All of these fillers have been of the synthetic variety containing mainly resorbable and a few non-resorbable materials. While these are convenient off-the-shelf products, almost all only offer a temporary augmentation effect.
Fat grafting as become a popular form of facial voluminization as it offers the potential for better long-term augmentation. It achieves that effect as it is harvested from the patient and such autologous fat cells can potentially survive the transfer process. But it is a surgical procedure and not a ready made product.
Allofill is the newest member of the off-the-shelf injectable filler products. While premade it differs because it is composed of fat…specifically cadaveric fat. Like many other alloplastic (cadaveric-derived) graft materials, this is a tissue bank-based material. It is derived from donated human adipose tissue intended for transplantation. Its biologic supposition is that, like naturally harvested fat, it provides a tissue scaffold/matrix which can become ingrown by blood vessels and fibroblasts to create new natural tissue. The difference is that natural fat has live adipocytes while Allofill does not.
In theory, Allofill offers the convenience of a premade injectable filler with the long-lasting results of fat grafting. The former is absolutely true, the latter awaits long-term clinical studies to substantiate. It is available in a 3cc syringe which is two to three more than all other injectable fillers.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana