Dermal fillers have been around for more than 40 years, but they have changed dramatically over the years. To understand any type of injection, it is important to look at your history for valuable lessons, so that progress is a success. And honestly, it's very interesting to see where we've come in the last 40 years in the world of injectables. Throughout history, aesthetic treatments were almost unaffordable and were reserved mainly for the richest.
However, over the past two decades, with the advent of non-surgical treatments and improved techniques with complementary results that are equally impressive, the number of people seeking aesthetic treatments has grown exponentially. The concept of injectable fillers was first born in the 19th century, when medical professionals discovered the usefulness of taking adipose tissue from one area of the body and injecting it into another area to restore lost volume of facial defects and scars. In the 19th century, the first cases of soft tissue augmentation with dermal fillers included autologous fat extracted from the arms to correct depressed facial defects and scarring in a patient with tuberculous osteitis, as well as injecting paraffin into the scrotum as a testicular prosthesis in a patient with advanced tuberculosis. Zyderm was the first facial filler approved for cosmetic use in 1981, followed by Zyderm II and Zyplast (Allergan, Inc.). The difference between the products was the amount of collagen by weight. Injectable fillers made of analogous fat were originally introduced in dermatology as a way to reconstruct facial deformities in patients with tuberculosis, but despite their somewhat macabre origin, in the early 20th century physicians began performing lip augmentation as a purely cosmetic procedure.
Bellafill is a bovine collagen filler approved for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds and facial acne scars, which you can still get today. A major breakthrough in dermal fillers over the years comes with the introduction of lidocaine mixed with the filler. Although fillers have become a popular choice among cosmetic patients, clinical experience has shown that fillers should be used with caution, as complications can occur. Each of the dermal fillers has its place, use and several patients get better results with different fillers. Fillers have become so common that they're no longer reserved for red carpet celebs, look no further than your average reality star or influencer's Insta page and you'd think that fillers are a clause in their TV contract.
