Perlane: The Newest Hyaluronic Acid Filler Hits the US Market

Approved by the FDA in May 2007 for the treatment of moderate to severe facial folds and wrinkles, Perlane is the newest hyaluronic acid dermal filler to hit the US market. Similar to other hyaluronic acid injectables, Perlane works to smooth deep wrinkles and folds by helping the skin to retain water and volume at the sites of injection, creating the appearance of younger and healthier skin. Used since 2000 outside the US, Perlane contains no animal proteins. This limits the risk of disease and allergic reaction, making Perlane one of the safest injectables available today.

Perlane is manufactured by Medicis Aesthetics Inc., the company which also created the wrinkle filler Restylane. The primary difference between Restylane and Perlane, according to the Medicis, is that "the hyaluronic acid gel particles in Perlane are larger than those found in Restylane.” These larger gel particles, they go on to say, offer "enhanced volume and lifting power ideal for wrinkle and fold correction in deeper layers of the skin."

Treatment with Perlane is considered to be relatively easy and painless. Since there is no risk for allergic reaction, no pre-procedure skin test is necessary. A typical session consists of a local anesthetic followed by the injections. Patients do report minimal pain during the procedure because, unlike Collagen, Perlane does not contain the anesthetic lidocaine. The procedure takes roughly half an hour, after which patients are free to go about their day as normal.
As stated on Medicine.net, the most common side effects of hyaluronic acid are reactions at the site of injection such as bruising, redness, pain, itching, tenderness and swelling. However, in most cases, side effects abate after just a few days. According to the manufacturer, Perlane's effects last for about six months and results are usually apparent within a week of the procedure.

Although the cost of treatment may vary depending upon the size of the treatment area and severity of the problem among other factors, according to lipaugmentation.com, a website devoted to providing the latest information on lip augmentation and injectable fillers, the average cost of injections with Perlane is $400 to $600 per 1 cc/mL syringe.