Dermal fillers have steadily grown in use over the years, despite the limitations of available products. Longevity without permanence and the absence of animal proteins have been desired attributes in fillers. Hyaluronic acids (HA), and in particular, the Juvéderm family of dermal fillers (Allergan), have the desired characteristics previously lacking in other available fillers.

As we age, our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure, and years of facial muscle movement such as smiling, chewing, and squinting. The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful begin to break down, often leaving laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet, and facial creases, in addition to a general loss of volume around the face. Soft tissue fillers can help fill in these lines and creases, temporarily replenish volume loss, and restore a more youthful looking appearance. Some characteristics of an ideal filler are being nonpermanent (but long lasting), having minimal side effects, not requiring allergy testing, being easy to use/inject, being painless on injection, being reversible, and being cost effective for both the physician and the patient.

HA fillers, primarily due to their ability to bind to large amounts of water and their favorable adverse event profiles, offer an attractive solution to addressing the aging face and lifting the skin. Despite these general features, HA dermal fillers are not all the same.