[i]Bellafill is a long-lasting facial dermal filler used to treat smile lines and acne scarring. It contains a combination of acrylic microspheres, natural collagen, and lidocaine. However, while adverse reactions are rare, they can be serious and difficult to treat.
What is Bellafill?
NIH Study on BellafillBellafill® is a long-lasting, injectable filler used to smooth away smile lines (nasolabial folds) and fill in acne scars. It has been FDA-approved for use in the United States since October of 2006, but an earlier version of the product (called Artecoll) has been used for scar and wrinkle correction in Europe since the 1990s.
It is a combination of microsphere enhanced bovine collagen with the local anesthetic lidocaine. The microspheres are produced from a synthetic implant material called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in accordance with FDA and USDA guidelines and are roughly 30 to 50 microns in size, barely visible to the naked eye. An allergy skin test is required prior to first use.
According to the manufacturer, Bellafill can smooth out
smile lines for up to five years and treat acne scars for up to one year. It is
comprised of small “microspheres” made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and
collagen derived from cows.
In 2014, a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, controlled trial of suspended
polymethylmethacrylate microspheres for the correction of atrophic facial acne
scars was performed[i] which demonstrated substantial effectiveness in the treatment of atrophic acne scars of the face while maintaining an excellent safety profile.
Interestingly, PMMA is the chemical name for acrylic, and is essentially the same as Plexiglas and Lucite. These ingredients may cause
irritation in some patients, so the manufacturer recommends that an allergy
test be administered before use.
It should be noted that safety guidelines should be observed when
considering the use of polymethylmethacrylate for augmentation. Adverse reactions,
despite being rare, are often permanent and difficult or even impossible to
treat.