Contact the Athena Clinic in Hawaii for Perlane® injections.
Perlane® restores volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds). After your treatment, you might have some swelling, redness, pain, and bruising. This will normally last less than seven days. Although rare, red or swollen small bumps may occur. If you have had herpes before, an injection can cause the herpes to return. In rare circumstances, the doctor may inject into a blood vessel, which can damage the skin. To avoid bruising and bleeding, you should not use Perlane® if you have recently used drugs that thin your blood or prevent clotting. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18, you shouldn’t use Perlane® .
Q What is Perlane® used for?
A Perlane® is used to smooth moderate to severe
facial folds and wrinkles such as the lines from
the nose to the corners of the mouth (nasolabial
folds). Perlane® generally lasts for about 6
months. It has been found to be a safe dermal
filler that restores volume and fullness to the
skin.
Q How does Perlane® work?
A Perlane® is injected into the skin with an ultrafine
needle. It plumps the skin to smooth away
wrinkles and folds. Perlane® 's water-loving
nature attracts and binds water molecules to
help maintain volume.
Perlane® is composed of hyaluronic acid, a
natural substance that already exists in the
body. The hyaluronic acid in Perlane® is a
crystal clear gel that is chemically cross-linked
(the long chemical strands are tied together) to
delay breakdown by skin enzymes. Perlane® is
non-animal-based and free from animal protein.
This quality prevents disease transmission.
Allergy pre-testing is not necessary.
Q How long does Perlane® last?
A Perlane® is proven to deliver long-lasting
results. Studies have shown that Perlane®
effects generally last about six months as
shown in the following graphs. Perlane®
gradually disappears from the body without
a trace.
Summary of results
Perlane® was studied in multiple clinical
studies. In one, treatment of the nasolabial
folds with Perlane® resulted in an improvement
in wrinkles in 137 of 149 patients after
three months, and 105 of 148 patients after
six months. In another study, treatment of
nasolabial folds with Perlane® resulted in an
improvement in wrinkles in 122 of 141 patients
after three months, and 88 of 138 patients after
six months. Side effects were mild. Most of the
side effects went away in seven days. Perlane®
did not cause allergic reactions.
Q Who should not use Perlane®
(Contraindications)?
A Perlane® should not be used by people with
previous bad allergies (particularly to certain
microorganisms known as gram positive bacteria),
to drugs that have required in-hospital
treatment, or in people with bleeding disorders.
Perlane® should not be injected anywhere
except the skin or just under the skin.
Q What are some warnings to
consider?
A The use of Perlane® at sites with skin sores,
pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections
should be postponed until healing is complete.
Use of Perlane® in these instances could
delay healing or make your skin problems
worse.
You may experience skin discoloration (bruising),
swelling, redness, tenderness, pain,
itching, or small lumps in the area where you
are injected. If any of these events occur, the
majority usually last less than seven days. If
any symptom lasts longer than two weeks, call
the doctor who administered the Perlane®
injection.
Inflammatory papules (red or swollen small
bumps) may rarely occur. You may need antibiotics
to treat them.
Q What are some risks that may be
experienced?
A As with all procedures like this, the injection
of Perlane® carries a theoretical risk of
infection and formation of scar tissue.
The safety and effectiveness of Perlane®
have not been established in the treatment
of lips, in nursing mothers, and in patients
under 18 or over 65 years of age. Perlane®
use in nursing could harm you or the nursing
child.
The use of Perlane® in African-American
patients can result in hyperpigmentation
(darkening of skin color), which may take
several weeks to correct.
If you have had herpes before, an injection
can cause the herpes to come back.
The safety of Perlane® used with other
skin therapies such as laser, mechanical or
chemical peeling, and hair removal has not
been established. The use of Perlane® in
these skin therapies may not work or they
may damage your skin.
You should avoid exposing the area(s)
treated with Perlane® to excessive sun or
UV lamps, and extreme heat and cold until
any redness or swelling has disappeared.
What are the major side effects?
A Rarely, the doctor may inadvertently inject
the product into a blood vessel, which can
cause injury to the blood supply and damage
to the skin.
Rarely, a few people have developed infections
of the gel that must be treated with
antibiotics or other treatment. Infection of
the gel may be hard to treat, but will always
go away when the gel is absorbed.
Q What should patients do prior
to treatment?
A Perlane® requires no pretesting, but you
should take a few precautions before being
treated. Avoid using St. John’s Wort, high
doses of Vitamin E supplements, aspirin,
and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medications, such as ibuprofen prior to
treatment, because these may increase bruising
or bleeding at the injection site. Also, if
you have previously suffered from facial cold
sores, discuss this with your physician. He or
she may consider prescribing a medication
to minimize recurrence.
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Q Do the injections hurt?
A Perlane® is injected directly into the skin in
tiny amounts by an ultrafine needle. To help
maximize your comfort, you should discuss
the use of numbing medicines with your
doctor before treatment.
Q How much do Perlane® treatments
cost?
A Perlane® is a customized procedure based
on your specific needs, so the cost will vary
from patient to patient. In general, the cost
of Perlane® is comparable to the cost of
similar procedures. Because Perlane® is long
lasting, it may prove to be very economical
over the long term. Please ask your doctor to
give you an estimate of the cost.
What should I call my doctor about
after the treatment?
A Most side effects like bruising, swelling,
pain, tenderness, redness, and itching will
usually go away within a week. Call your
doctor if you have persistent problems
beyond 14 days.
Blisters or skin sores may signal that you
are having a recurrent herpes infection that
should be treated.
You can develop an infection that should be
treated with antibiotics. If you experience
redness, tenderness, and pain that does not
go away you should call your doctor.
Administration
Q What is the dose of Perlane® ?
A The amount used depends on your face and
what you would like to have treated. The
average patient who has all of the severe
wrinkles around the mouth corrected will
use less than half of a tablespoon