A Clinical Overview of Injectable Micro-Implant Fillers (Radiance, Radiesse, Artecoll, Aquamide, Silicone)

Many injectable micro-implant fillers are available on today’s market including Radiesse, Artecoll, Aquamide and Silicone. Let's take a closer look at each of these so that as an aesthetician, you are educated and prepare to answer any questions your clients may have.

ARTECOLL
Artecoll, also kown as Artecol and Artefill, is made by Artes Medial PMMA and was discovered by a chemist in Germany named O. Rom in 1902.  Used with medical implantation began in 1936, and toay common usages include bone cement, dentures, artificial eye lenses and pacemaker covers. In fact, when impregnated with antibiotics it has been used in the human body since the 1970’s.  The idea of implantation of microspheres of Artecoll for soft tissue augmentation came from Gottfried Lemperele.  These very small round balls about the size of a red blood cell and used in conjunction with denatured bovine collagen as a vector.  Lidocaine is used to relieve pin, and a phosphate buffer, sodium chloride and distilled water are used as well.  Tissue augmentation has been performed with it since 1989 and in the past ten years over 100,000 people have been treated with Artecoll. Injected deep into the skin at the dermal level.

RADIESSE
Radiance, also known as Radiesse, is not yet FDA approved for cosmetic purposes but is approved for radiographic tissue marking.  It is in essence synthetic calcium hydroxlapatite, similar to the calcium found in human teeth and bones.  Manufactured by Bioform, a Wisconsin company, from microspheres, it has been safety used in the body for many applications including dental where bone buildup is required for reconstruction.  It has also been used in block form for cheek, jaw, cranial and chin implants.  Calcium hydroxylapatite when used creates a lattice and surrounding cells are incorporated from ossification in bony areas to a stable scaffold in which soft tissue is able to grow.  When it is injected in soft tissue and away from bone, fibroblasts work by building a non-scar tissue much like collagen.

AQUAMID
Aquamid is manufactured by Ferrosan, a Danish pharmaceutical company and is 2.5% hydrophilic polyacrylamide and 97.5% water.  Polyacrylamide can hold up to 400 times its own weight in water and has been popular for many years in medical applications, drug delivery, water purification and agriculture.  Used in cosmetic applications for more than a decade now, it has immediate results and it should not be over corrected or  under corrected. On the downside the implants are susceptible to bacterial infections for up to several years after injection

SILICONE
Silicone injections are quite controversial.  Some of the controversy is for good reason, and some is not.  Injections of silicone oil are not approved for cosmetic use in the United States. However, a physician can prescribe an FDA approved device as he sees fit and for this reason silicon oil is used to treat detached retinas of the eye to save eyesight.  But it is not to be kept inside the body  Silicone oil is also being investigated now for facial soft tissue augmentation use.  If it passes the tests it may come into common use for cosmetic purposes.