Use of high-frequency ultrasound in the assessment of injectable dermal fillers

The use of dermal fillers for enhancing lips and reducing wrinkles is currently one of the fastest growing sectors of the cosmetic surgery market. There are numerous fillers available, some are synthetic others are isolated from biological material. Once injected the fillers have a varied lifespan ranging from months to years depending upon the material, site of injection and individual response. Current assessment techniques of filler performance are mostly limited to evaluations of the skin surface topography, and not to what is happening to the filler beneath the skin surface. The aim of this work was to see if high-frequency ultrasound could be used to image and measure filler dimensions in situ.

This was a pilot study of six healthy female volunteers aged 36-53 visiting the surgical outpatients department of a hospital in Glasgow. Volunteers had been injected with filler material into their upper lip 6 months before the visit. The patients all had their upper lip scanned using high-frequency ultrasound. The subsequent images were then assessed using the scanner software to assess the dimensions of the filler.

The filler material was clearly visible with the ultrasound and subsequently measurable in each scan. Each scan procedure was completed within a short time period meaning quantitative data could be acquired with minimum trauma to the volunteer. The scan images and data also provided valuable information for the volunteers and reinforced their perception of the fillers effect on their features.

High-frequency ultrasound scanning provides a non-invasive, convenient and rapid technique for the assessment of filler performance. This pilot study produced three valuable pieces of information: The ultrasound can image the filler material from which quantitative measurements can be made. The technique is rapid and cost effective ...This investigation helped to reinforce the volunteer's perception of the filler effect.