Facial Rejuvenation Using a Mixture of Calcium Hydroxylapatite Filler and Hyaluronic Acid Filler

Calcium hydroxylapatite filler is a popular dermal filler, as it provides long-lasting results. However, it sometimes undergoes unexpected early volume loss, due to rapid gel absorption before neocollagenesis. To compensate for this phenomenon, hyaluronic acid filler was added to calcium hydroxylapatite filler for injection as a mixture. Twenty-five patients who scored 1 or 2 on the Merz 5-point scale for the nasolabial fold and jawline were injected with 3.0mL of the mixture. The mixture was prepared with 1.0mL of hyaluronic acid filler, 0.5mL of lidocaine, and 1.5mL of calcium hydroxylapatite filler. A visual analog scale (VAS) and the 5-point global satisfaction scale (GSS) were used for objective and subjective assessments. In a subset of patients, for histologic analysis, 0.1mL of the mixture and 0.1mL of only calcium hydroxylapatite filler were injected into the right and left postauricular areas, respectively. The histologic analysis was performed 6 months after implantation. The mean VAS and GSS scores for both sets of wrinkles were above "fair'' at every follow-up, including at shortterm and long-term periods. The skin biopsies from both postauricular areas from selected patients showed increased dermal collagen bundles without inflammation. The mixture of calcium hydroxylapatite filler and hyaluronic acid filler maintained constant volume with high satisfaction, as hyaluronic acid filler compensated for the unexpected early volume loss of calcium hydroxylapatite filler. This procedure can be applied safely, and it is also convenient, because no retouching procedure is needed.