Summary
Over the past few years, noninvasive cosmetic procedures have skyrocketed. Soft tissue injectable fillers are among those procedures that are rapidly growing. Up until now, hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers have been the mainstay. With the emergence of Envolence, we have a new twist on an old product--collagen. Since this does not involve skin testing and can be used at the same time as the patient's initial visit, this may prove to be an exciting new product, and may capture a fair share of the injectable filler market place.
Analysis
Just when we thought we have seen every type of soft tissue filler, a new one, Envolence, hits the market. This is not your father's filler, this is a new twist on an old theme, collagen. The most popular fillers today are the hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, and includes products such as Restylane and Juvederm. These products are easy to use, are reliable, and last about 6 months. Envolence was FDA approved for filling nasolabial folds, and was compared head to head with HA. It lasted as long as the HA fillers, but has the advantage of being a collagen filler, and therefore does not maintain its effect by the absorption of water into the injection site as HA does. It does not require skin testing, even though the older collagen products did. It is dispensed in 1 cc syringes, but needs to be administered using a 27 gauge needle (slightly larger than the HA's, so potentially a bit more painful). I am not sure about the cost comparisons, but if the price is comparable, I give it a big thumbs up.
