COSMETIC TOWN JOURNAL



Learn about the FDA Approved Filler Doctors can now Use in your Hands

Posted June 04, 2018
Rejuvenate your hands

When most people think about getting fillers, they likely picture having filler injected into the face to provide a more youthful appearance. How people view fillers will likely change in the near future thanks to the FDA making a recent approval for patients and their use of fillers.

Let’s Give the FDA a Hand

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Restylane Lyft, which is a hyaluronic acid filler, for use in the hands. As of now, this is the first, and only, hyaluronic acid injectable gel that has been approved by the FDA for use in an area other than the face. It should be noted that Radiesse has also been approved by the government for use in both the face and hands.

When injected into the hands, fillers behave like they do in other parts of the body and cause a rejuvenation effect that makes the hands look younger thanks to adding more volume to them. The addition of filler makes the tendons and veins less visible because of the extra volume.  

Past Treatment Options for the Hands

In the past, fillers have been used off-label in the hands. Doctors have also used a patient’s own fat to fill in the loss of volume on the hands. Many patients have visited doctors in the past in an attempt to keep their hands looking youthful as hands that are wrinkled or skinny tend to look older to others.

In addition, there were some patients who had a treatment called sclerotherapy that involved injecting a salt solution into the veins. The salt solution was put in the veins in an attempt to get rid of the bulging veins.

How do Fillers work?

The way that fillers are injected into a patient, in order to treat their hands, can differ per doctor. Some medical professionals make multiple injections of filler in small amounts in areas located between the tendons. On the other hand, other doctors make larger injections directly in the center of the hand. Once the filler is under the skin, the doctor will move the filler to the areas that can make a change in the appearance of the hands.

No matter where the filler is placed, the skin is numbed through the use of a topical anesthetic or a topical anesthetic and ice. Once the skin is numb, it is “pinched up” and the injection is delivered straight into the area of the skin that is located above the tendons and muscles in the hands. The patient might see some swelling and bruising but, as long as the skin is properly numbed, there should not be much discomfort or pain.

Overall, the filler should last anywhere between 6-10 months and follow-up treatments will need to be performed in order to maintain the desired appearance to the hands.

FDA approval is a Big Deal

Many doctors agree that the FDA granting approval for the use of Restylane Lyft in the hands is a big step forward in the use of fillers. Some of the ways that FDA approval benefits both doctors and patients include:

  • It gives both parties the reassurance that the product is effective and safe for use in the hands.
  • The approval means there will be better record keeping and safety standards with its use.

Because the use of fillers in the hand has largely been performed off-label (not FDA approved) in the past, there has not been a good amount of public discussion or discourse on the topic. In fact, if the FDA has not approved the use of a product in a specific area of the body, a company is not even allowed to talk about its use in that area. Plus, if filler is being used off-label by doctors, the manufacturer of the filler is not able to train doctors on how to properly use the filler on patients in the certain area of the body. The manufacturer is also not allowed to provide any sort of information about off-label uses.

With the approval by the FDA, there will be new discussions about the use and a better awareness of the options available to patients to treat their aging hands. Plus, the approval may encourage more doctors to begin to offer the service of administering fillers in the hands of patients.

MA

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