Don’t ignore facial dynamics when using fillers

Dermal fillers that include physicochemical properties proved to be effective in reducing acne scarring without compromising natural facial dynamics, researchers reported at the 2017 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery annual meeting in Chicago on Thursday.

“Facial dynamics is an increasing area of clinical focus extending beyond 3-D volume restoration, as naturalness of clinical outcomes at rest and with animation may vary,” according to Vince Bertucci, M.D., the author of this study.

In a study of 30 women between 40-65 years old with moderate to severe bilateral facial wrinkles, Dr. Bertucci and colleagues reported that dermal fillers formulated with XpresHAn TechnologyTM led to “improvements in attractiveness and youthfulness without compromising naturalness.”

Fillers are intended to correct age-related expressions, but ideally without compromising natural facial expressions. Historically, studies have generally focused on the effectiveness of fillers by focusing on static displays of forced expressions instead of expressions that mimic natural subtle expressions.

The patients in this study were treated with HA fillers (20mg/mL with XpresHAn TechnologyTM) on the lower portion of the face. Researchers evaluated facial dynamics before treatment and four weeks after treatment. Facial dynamics were evaluated and quantified with stereophotogrammetry which provided three-dimensional views. The subjects in the trial were compared to an untreated younger co-hort of 25-35 year old women.

THE FINDINGS

• 100% of women felt that the naturalness of facial dynamics in the lower face was maintained or enhanced

• 96.7% felt that their face looked natural when relaxed

• 90% of women were pleased with their overall facial appearance

• 93.3% felt that their face looked natural when smiling

• 83.3% of women felt their face looked younger than their actual age

• Stretch levels of marionette lines were significantly reduced post-treatment (17.9%, p<.05) to such a degree that marionette lines on older women resembled that of younger women.

“This work underscores the critical importance of objective dynamic assessment as the fourth dimension of facial aesthetics,” researchers stated.

Disclosures

Dr. Bertucci serves as a consultant for Allergan, Galderma, LaRoche-Posay, Merz, Revance.

Reference

“Subjective and Objective Facial Dynamics Using Dermal Fillers Formulated for Facial Movement Adaptation,” 2017 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association annual meeting, Oct. 5, 2017.