Cosmetic injectables, like dermal fillers, have become increasingly popular in recent years. Hyaluronic acid, in particular, is the most commonly used dermal filler, accounting for more than 92% of all dermal fillers in the United States in 2015. In this article, various aspects of hyaluronic acid fillers will be discussed, including regulation, physical characteristics and uses, and a quick primer on other commonly used FDA-approved classes of dermal fillers.
Regulation
The most common issue with dermal fillers is actually a lack of regulation; in 2013, a report by the Department of Health (DOH) termed this as a “crisis waiting to happen.” In the United Kingdom, dermal fillers are classified as a medical device rather than a drug, meaning that dermal fillers can be used cosmetically without being subject to the EU General Product Safety Directive, Care Quality Commission (CQC), or CE standards. Given this, practitioners usually turn to guidelines established
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