Polylactic acid leads to disfigurement when not injected deeply as a cosmetic enhancement

According to a new study in Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, polylactic acid (PLA), used as a cosmetic enhancement to decrease volume loss around the eyes, leads to disfigurement when not injected properly.

The authors reviewed four cases where patients were injected superficially; all four exhibited nodule development and inflammation.

"PLA should not be injected superficially, especially around the eyes," says study author and dermatologist Greg Goodman. "This material does not act as a dermal filler, which would be injected superficially to smooth wrinkles, but needs to be placed deeply below the muscles to be a safer and more effective agent." The technique is still so comparatively new and unproven, however, that Goodman cautions against its use around the eyes unless completed by a doctor who is experienced in its use.

According to Goodman, many cosmetic techniques are implemented too quickly and too carelessly. "Practitioners should be wary of new procedures and instruction from representatives who themselves have been recently trained in the procedures," says Goodman.

Goodman also cautions patients against trying the newest products on the market. "New procedures are not necessarily the best procedures; sometimes waiting for a procedure to improve and mature over many years is the best policy for those seeking safe, quality results.