Artefill is not a permanent filler. It will last you give or take 5 years or more. So it's more like a semi-permanent filler. Silikon 1000 is more of a permanent filler that it will last about 20 years or so. But that one is extremely dangerous that most don't Derms don't bother using it for acne scars. Neither Filler is FDA approved in the United States yet for acne scars, but looks like Artefill will soon be FDA approved in the near future for acne scars As there has been an investigation Study has been underway for more than a year with patients who have acne scars to get this approved here. Some Dermatologist though do used these fillers as an off label for acne scars, So keep this in mind when you do decide to get Artefill. I don't think it should cost you that much since it's only for one scar.
Actually, Artefill IS PERMANENT.
The reason that the longevity is stated as 5 years is because 5 years was the cut off for the initial study that got it approved. They did not continue to follow the patients after 5 years, so legally that's all they can claim. Artefill consists of PMMA beads suspended in bovine collagen. The bovine collagen (cow collagen) gets metabolized by the body. The PMMA beads, which are essentially plastic beads, stay embedded in the skin forever, and do not get metabolized.
Artefill is not a permanent filler. It will last you give or take 5 years or more. So it's more like a semi-permanent filler. Silikon 1000 is more of a permanent filler that it will last about 20 years or so. But that one is extremely dangerous that most don't Derms don't bother using it for acne scars. Neither Filler is FDA approved in the United States yet for acne scars, but looks like Artefill will soon be FDA approved in the near future for acne scars As there has been an investigation Study has been underway for more than a year with patients who have acne scars to get this approved here. Some Dermatologist though do used these fillers as an off label for acne scars, So keep this in mind when you do decide to get Artefill. I don't think it should cost you that much since it's only for one scar.
BlahBlah82, I hope you're so right about this as this could be the answer for many of us. So are you talking about some other Acne Scar Clinical Study way back then that was trying to get FDA approval too? or were you referring to the investigational study which got the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2006 for the correction of the nasolabial folds commonly known as "Smile Lines"?
As far as i know it's still not FDA approved yet for Acne Scars in the U.S. and the Doctors who do use Artefill for acne scars do it as an off label. I was reading this article dated this year January 7, 2014 which is an Acne Scar investigational clinical study still going on and after 12 Months of this study it looks very promising with most not suffering any side effects for the most part and having gain lots of improvement. Here is the link:
By the way so even if our skin continues to age say 10-20 years from now(after the Artefill treatment) and we gain maybe a few wrinkles which is natural with the ageing process, our acne scars will still not come back do to this treatment or is this still an unknown answer for now?
Doctors have been using it off label since it came onto the market. Artefill has existed in various forms for decades, first as Artecoll, then as Arteplast, and now as Artefill.
This new acne scar clinical trial only started I believe a year or two ago. I know because I was looking at one point to get in. One of the doctors who participated in the study is Dr. Ava Shamban who practices in LA. They never responded after my inquiry, so I figured all the spots were filled up.
Artefill may work for some people who have the kind of scars that can be treated with fillers (rolling scars). As far as unknowns, permanent fillers have issues like granuloma formation and lumps that are unpredictable. Works great for some, while for others it can be potentially problematic.
I think with Juvederm Voluma out now, we have a new option with a happy median between good longevity, and safety. It lasts supposedly 18 months, which is good longevity, but since it's a hyaluronic acid, it is completely reversible with hyaluronidase in case of less than perfect technique.