Treatment Options in Facial and Nonfacial Volumization: An Introduction to Poly-L-Lactic Acid

Restoring Facial Volume: The Growing Impact of Poly-L-Lactic Acid

Soft tissue augmentation is an important option in aesthetic enhancement and continues to grow in popularity for a number of reasons, including its minimally invasive nature and ability to directly nullify volume loss associated with facial ageing. Cosmetic agents that replace collagen are effective tools for addressing volume loss, and among these poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) carries great potential, acting to volumize soft tissue in a gradual, progressive, and predictable manner, and providing natural-looking restoration of lost facial volume.

In the considerable time that has passed since the introduction of PLLA for soft tissue augmentation, methodology and patient selection has improved, leading to far fewer adverse events such as nodules or papules and better patient outcomes. An international group of experts was convened in 2013 to discuss the optimum use of PLLA, and this collective experience and requisite knowledge is described in this supplement.