What is Polylactic Acid
Polylactic acid - also known as polylactate or poly-lactic acid - is a polymer of lactic acid of synthetic origin.
Polylactic acid is widely used in the field of aesthetic medicine, where it is used as a filler as an alternative to plastic surgery.
The success of the use of polylactic acid in the field of aesthetic medicine is to be found in its interesting properties. Indeed, it is indeed a synthetic but biodegradable, absorbable and immunologically inert polymer.
Did you know that ...
Thanks to its characteristic biodegradability, polylactic acid is exploited - on an industrial level - in the production of so-called biodegradable or bioplastic plastics.
An undoubtedly useful function, given the increasing importance of environmental sustainability in recent years.
Indications
A valid alternative to facelift, polylactic acid (marketed as Sculptra ®) is used successfully to correct imperfections and imperfections of the face, such as:
- Surface wrinkles;
- Small natural furrows / folds of the skin;
- Small surgical or lesion scarring left by acne;
- Falling cheekbones, not very pronounced and not very evident;
- Chin "weak" and not very harmonious;
- Marked dark circles caused by the so-called "tear of the valley" (typical imperfection of aging, characterized by the marked thinning of the skin in the periorbital area and by the "descent" of the lower eyelid).
Mode of use
The presence of polylactic acid in the dermis gradually (but progressively) stimulates the synthesis of collagen: by doing so, it is possible to appreciate - even if only after 4/6 weeks - a considerable increase in volume of the atrophic areas of the face.
Being injections, the treatment with polylactic acid is not completely painless: in fact, most patients who require such an intervention complains of discomfort, burning or an unpleasant sensation of tingling, both during and after the inoculation of the product under the skin. To avoid this inconvenience, minimizing the pain, the area to be treated is generally anesthetized with substances with local anesthetic action (eg lidocaine, mepivacaine hydrochloride).
Action mechanism
As mentioned, polylactic acid is a known dermal filler that - once injected into the skin of the face - is able to effectively stimulate the synthesis of neocollagen.
In detail, it is capable of promoting the activity of fibroblasts, the cells of the dermis responsible for the synthesis of elastic fibers, glycosaminoglycans (such as hyaluronic acid) and, precisely, collagen.
However, the type of collagen produced is not exactly the most indicated. It is no coincidence that we often fail to specify which type of collagen is actually produced following the action of polylactic acid.
In fact, what doctors often do not say, and the advertisements they omit, is that polylactic acid activates a fibrotic response .
For this reason, in young subjects, more and more people opt for the injection of low molecular weight substances (eg fragments of hyaluronic acid) and of factors capable of stimulating the activity of spontaneous regeneration of the skin. The same effect of stimulation and regeneration can be obtained through the use of supplements rich in substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Results
Unlike other dermal fillers (eg hyaluronic acid fillers), polylactic acid does not produce its soft-lifting effects in the immediate post-injection period: the results appear gradually precisely because this substance stimulates the production of neocollagen in the long term. The first results, in fact, are visible only after 4-6 weeks and, to obtain the desired rejuvenation or remodeling effect, it may take 2-6 total treatments (based on the imperfection to be corrected).
As an indication, it is estimated that to obtain an appreciable and satisfactory result, at least 3 sessions are necessary for the correction of small defects of the face and 5-6 treatments to restore serious alterations of a purely aesthetic nature (eg volumizing chin and cheekbones).
After a period of time ranging from 12 to 30 months, the polylactic acid is completely reabsorbed by the skin: for this reason, the molecule is considered a resorbable biological filler (although some sources mistakenly consider it a semi-permanent filler).
Benefits and Benefits
Why prefer polylactic acid injections to cosmetic surgery?
Injections to polylactic acid represent an important alternative, however minimally invasive and long lasting, to cosmetic surgery for the correction of defects typical of skin aging. When compared to other types of fillers, polylactic acid excels for more features:
- Long lasting effect (12-30 months);
- Poor side effects;
- Quality of the injected material;
- Biodegradability of the product.
Not to be forgotten, then, that polylactic acid corrects facial defects, ensuring a completely natural effect, without in any way influencing facial expressions.
A new method of applying polylactic acid has been devised for a few years now: even buttocks, arms and thighs can, in fact, benefit from treatment with this substance. More precisely, injections of polylactic acid in different locations from the face are indicated for:
- Reduce cellulite and reshape orange peel skin;
- Correct the decay of the inner thighs;
- Reshape the falling interior of the arms.
Side effects
To minimize the risk of side effects, it is first of all necessary to rely on highly qualified and competent aesthetic surgeons / doctors.
That said, the incidence of undesirable effects - such as small hematomas, ecchymoses, edemas, infections, redness or small bleeding - after treatment with polylactic acid is almost comparable to that of other fillers.
Some patients also complain of the appearance of sensations of tension and heat in the area in which the polylactic acid was injected.
However, these outcomes tend to resolve spontaneously within a few days.
Harder side effects may occur than those listed above. However, in cases where they occur, the causes should be sought in an incorrect execution of the injection, rather than in the polymer itself.
Contraindications
The presence of skin diseases, autoimmune diseases, neoplasms or other major disorders constitutes a heavy limit to the use of fillers in general, including polylactic acid.
In general, the use of polylactic acid to correct skin imperfections is reserved for patients who are in good health.
Furthermore, we remind you that polylactic acid cannot be injected during pregnancy and lactation and in subjects who are sensitive or allergic to this substance.
costs
Being a treatment of high aesthetic medicine, injections of polylactic acid are not very cheap: indicatively, the cost of a session varies from 400 to 900 euros.
Indicatively, a single session that includes the complete treatment of the face with polylactic acid filler has an average price of 700-900 euros.
If more limited areas are to be treated - such as, for example, the contours of the mouth or the cheeks alone - the treatment price is around 300-500 euros.
Of course, since more sessions are usually required, the overall cost of treatment will be significantly higher.
Furthermore, the price of injections of polylactic acid may also vary depending on the doctor performing the treatment and depending on the structure to which it is addressed.
