The safety and efficacy of poly-L-lactic acid on sunken cheeks in Asians

Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer device used for correction of facial contour deficiencies, with a gradual onset of effect that is maintained for up to 25 months. PLLA is currently widely used to correct age-related facial volume deficits in Asians.

We sought to evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy of PLLA on treating age-related sunken cheeks in Asians.

This was a retrospective, single-center study of 11 subjects with age-related sunken cheeks who were treated with three sessions of PLLA, and then followed-up for 24 months. A questionnaire was used to evaluate patient satisfaction and the incidence of adverse reactions.

Seven female and four male subjects with mild-to-moderate age-related sunken cheeks were included in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 41.5 (range: 25-50). Overall, 90.9% of patients replied that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the results at 24 months follow-up; 91% of patients rated the volume correction to be good or excellent. Despite the high incidence of bruising (63.7%) and post-treatment nodules (27.3%), all subjects (100%) were willing to undergo the procedure again.

PLLA has shown long-lasting effects in reversing age-related sunken cheeks in Asians, with high patient satisfaction. Special consideration should be made to minimize the side effects.