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Hyaluronic acid gel for lip augmentation produced results for up to 1 year

A smooth, hyaluronic acid gel was well tolerated by patients and provided lip fullness that lasted for up to 1 year in a recent study.

Sixty women (mean age, 50 years) in Europe received augmentation treatments in the perioral area with an injectable, non-particle, viscous hyaluronic acid (Juvéderm Volbella, Allergan) designed for the lip area. The product did not include lidocaine, so all subjects received a topical (56.7%) or nerve block (43.3%) anesthetic. Follow-up was at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Primary endpoint was a responder rate at month 3 of at least 40% on the Lip Fullness Scale (LFS), with a statistical improvement of at least 1 point from baseline on the investigator’s assessment of LFS. Lip fullness goal achievement, the look and feel of the lips and treatment effect satisfaction were assessed by participants at follow-up.

Based on investigator assessments, LFS responder rate at month 3 was 93.2% (P<.0001), with 78% of patients having improved lip fullness at month 9 and 48.3% retaining fullness at month 12.

Investigators rated 16.7% of patients as having minimal lip fullness and 83.3% having mild fullness before treatment; following treatment, 0% of patients were rated as minimal; 5.2%, mild, 86.2%, moderate; and 8.6%, marked. Lip fullness satisfaction was reported by 98.3% of patients following treatment, which was maintained by 86.4% of patients at month 9 and 56.9% of patients at month 12. Eighty-one percent of patients reported that their lips felt smooth at month 1, with 91.4% reporting natural-looking lips and 96.6% reporting satisfaction. Eleven months later, more than 80% of patients said they were satisfied.

Thirty-four subjects reported 72 adverse events, the most frequent being injection-site bruising (51.7%), swelling (8.3%) and lumps (8.3%).

“With long-lasting duration and ease of injection and massage, along with a good safety profile, [the gel] delivers a smooth, natural-looking result, which is important when treating the lips and perioral area,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant disclosures.