Optimal Changes Seen in Patients After Treatment With Poly-l-Lactic Acid: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) is a biostimulator that enhances collagen production and leads to volume restoration. It became popular because of its improvement of facial wrinkles and long-lasting effect, although the specific visible changes it causes in the facial area are not fully described. OBJECTIVE To identify and characterize the visible changes resulting from injecting PLLA into the facial area. METHODS A list of 678 patients who underwent 2 to 3 treatments with PLLA injections in this center between 2021 and 2022 were retrieved. After 2 rounds of evaluations, 31 independent international evaluators described the 3 main changes they observed in the before-and-after images (taken approximately 7 months after the last injection session) of the 12 patients with the most significant improvement. RESULTS A total of 1,015 descriptions were received. They were divided into categories based upon similarity. The main detected changes were better contouring and enhancement of the lateral face, a lifting effect and secondary impact on the nasolabial fold, and improvement of skin texture and skin firmness. CONCLUSION Poly-l-lactic acid injections were judged to be effective for contouring, lifting, and improving skin texture in the facial area. Further research is needed to validate these results and create an assessment scale for PLLA injections.