ARTEFILL
Benefits
Recently approved by the FDA, ArteFill is a safe and permanent injectable wrinkle filler used to treat smile lines. Instead of making an ongoing investment in a more youthful appearance, ArteFill gives you lasting results. It is the only permanent injectable filler on the market today.
A simple, in-office procedure, ArteFill gives you immediate, visible results with no downtime. ArteFill contains PMMA microspheres and purified bovine collagen gel with an anesthetic for comfort during injection. ArteFill is dual-acting. First, it visibly corrects the wrinkle and then the microspheres provide the permanent support your skin needs for enduring wrinkle correction.
Treatment
One or two treatments of this injectable will typically deliver desired and lasting results. After ensuring no allergic sensitivity to bovine collagen, patients come to the office for treatment. ArteFill is injected directly beneath the wrinkle to add a permanent support structure and smooth the area. The synthetic PMMA microspheres in ArteFill are "non-resorbable," which means they are not absorbed into the body or metabolized. This makes ArteFill last significantly longer than other injectable fillers. The microspheres stimulate the body to generate its own natural collagen to encapsulate each individual microsphere, resulting in 80% of the patient's collagen and 20% microspheres (by volume) to permanently fill in the wrinkle.
Recovery
There are minimal side effects associated with ArteFill injections, however some patients might experience slight swelling and reddening of the treatment area. These side effects are usually gone within 24 hours. If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs you may experience increased bruising or bleeding at the injection sites. Patients with any skin outbreaks (e.g., cysts, pimples, rashes, hives, infection) near the injection site should postpone treatment until they clear. As the injected bovine collagen is slowly absorbed during a few weeks, the newly generated collagen replaces it. This slow breakdown and natural replenishment process provides ArteFill with its unique and enduring results.
