More questions on longevity and Juvederm/Restylane!

HI Dr I. Love your site! Was wondering, since people mention such vast differences of how long Juvederm lasts, i was wondering if they all come from the same supplier, for example LA or Asia etc.. Is it possible this could have an effect on how long it lasts too? I just don't understand why so many people are saying it lasted well over a year or even two years.. Gets confusing reading all the reviews. Many thanks.

I think I can help with this confusion with three points:

  1. Remember that Juvederm is a trade name for a hyaluronic acid cross-linked gel.  In the US, Juvederm, Restylane and Belotero are currently the only ones FDA approved.  Their longevity is similiar but not exactly the same in everyone.
  2. There are by last count, over 30 of these hyaluronic acid gels being made and used in Europe, Asia and South America all under different trade names.  Many of these are inferior products, some of which may include dangerously high protein loads or dangerous compounds used in inferior manufacturing.   Insist on the products that have long safety records!
  3.  Thirdly  –  generally don’t believe what you see on the web and avoid sites that rely on “user generated content.”  They are notariously inaccurate.   Juvederm 99.99% of the time does not last 2 years.  For example, I saw a patient this week from another office who was complaining that she still had an area of Juvederm persisting after two years.  What she was feeling was an area of bone adjacent to an upper tooth, not Juvederm!  (More on these questions – go to blog and filler mistakes topic)

Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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