Aquamid treatment - permanent filler

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Aquamid as a dermal filler

Do you have problems with..

Would you like a permanent solution to deep lines and hollows that means you don't have to keep going back for those expensive top-up treatments? Would you like your face to regain its youthful fullness?

Aquamid study

I translated this study from Science into Plain English for you (click the bold text if you want to read the original). There are plenty more on Aquamid, but this is a good summation I think.

A study on patients treated with polyacrylamide hydrogel [Aquamid] injection for facial corrections.

Polyacrylamide hydrogel also known as 'PAAG' has been in use in Kiev as both a facial filler and as a breast augmentaion substance for over 10 years - with very good, if unpublished, results.

A Swedish and Danish group of plastic surgeons, specialising in faces, decided to investigate 104 patients treated with PAAG (Aquamid) in Kiev. Average age for patients was 37 and the average time since their Aquamid injections was almost 4 years. The average amount of Aquamid injected was almost 6 ml.

Aquamid was well tolerated and 78% of the doctors and patients thought the outcome of the treatment 'very good' and 22% thought 'good'. Aquamid is a promising substance for correcting facial problems and is being studied in several clinical trials.

Sasha recommends..

I like Aquamid very much indeed, as you can probably tell from the rest of the dermal filler pages on this site, and I don't think much of the alternatives. It has been used in Europe for many years, without complications. The only problem I ever had after using it was being constantly asked for ID in stores, and I'm in my forties!

Don't let the fact its not used in the USA put you off. Plenty of things aren't used in the USA because there are more expensive options available to sell to rich Americans (erm, you are all rich aren't you?). Half of you are still using collagen, which should have been retired alongside leeches..

Bovine collagen is made from dead cows. Beauty is very important, but even if you aren't worried about Mad Cow Disease its still a mean thing to do to a cow.

Aquamid is used in Europe, and our equivalents of the FDA think there is nothing wrong with it. Aquamid is made up mostly of water, which is why it feels totally natural. It is held in a matrix, that is it holds itself together, under your skin with 'polyacrylamide' - a substance used as an additive to drinking water. It does not move away from the site of injection, and unlike collagen or long lasting fillers - it will not disappear. The downtime is zero and the only complications are the same as with any injection for anything - very rarely someone will get an infection at the injection site and might need antibiotics.

Aquamid is used for nose to mouth lines, depressions at the outer corners of the mouth, plumping up lips, cheek hollows, uneven cheekbones, to make cheekbones more prominent, and filling out any slight to moderate depression. That is, pretty much anything that isn't a superficial line or severe sagging.

The FDA are expected to approve Aquamid for US citizens sometime. As soon as they get round to it. In their own sweet time. In the meantime if you want it, you will either have to travel London UK, or shop around in the US and ask cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists if they have any Aquamid, and if they will consider "off label" Aquamid treatment. The ones most likely to have it are the cosmetic surgeons or dermatologists currently using Perlane, Restylane or Zyderm etc.

How to get Aquamid

Now I never make specific recommendations on practitioners because visitors to this website are international, but in this case I'm making an exception. If it is at all feasible, I would strongly recommend the Liinzi James Clinic in Beauchamp (prounounced "BEE-cham") place, Knightsbridge, London (near where the Queen lives). Liinzi has the best esthetic sense of any practitioner I have ever met. She can do things with filler other people can only dream of - twice the result with half the product, and the results are permanent. Its certainly worth the extra cost of the airfare, so you might consider planning a London vacation sometime soon!

For more information, or to book an appointment with Liinzi - click here or phone 44 (0)20 7584 4777 (international callers - leave out the first zero). I should say the average patient needs about 6cc of filler and each cc costs around $1100 (600ukp for the first cc 550ukp for any more). Of course individual requirements vary, but knowing what is average should help you plan your budget. Please note, I have no financial interest in recommending Liinzi, she is just the best in her field by a very long way.

[PS:Liinzi was visited recently by undercover reporters from 'Which' magazine - a consumer product testing magazine, and the consultation was assessed by plastic surgeons and other medical professionals. Their assessment agreed with my experience - hers was one of the very few clinics that passed with flying colors. Click here or here to read more.]

What if I can't get to London?

If visiting London really isn't an option, ask the people who do collagen, Perlane, Restylane etc near you if they "have any Aquamid available for off-label use?" and leave your number with them. Sometimes they bring it back from Europe when they visit for medical conferences.