Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - July 14, 2005
Botox smoothes frown lines (those vertical furrows between the eyebrows) by paralyzing the muscles that cause them. The F.D.A. has approved its cosmetic use for this part of the face only, but some doctors also use it on horizontal forehead wrinkles, crows'-feet, neck bands (vertical cords than run below the chin) and the area under the nose to stretch out lines above the lip. If injected incorrectly, Botox can temporarily make the eyelids or lips droop. Treatments last up to four months.
Cost: $376 to $850 per area treated.
Fat, harvested via liposuction, can be purified and safely injected into cheeks, lips or temples because patients are never allergic to their own fat. Treatments last from six months to several years.
Cost: $500 to $1,300 for one treatment (not including the liposuction fee). Several treatments may be needed.
Collagen is a fibrous protein that is used to fill wrinkles and acne scars as well as plump lips. Zyderm and Zyplast, made of bovine collagen, can cause itching, swelling and other allergic reactions, so doctors test potential patients to see if they are sensitive. CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast, made of human collagen, usually do not cause such reactions. Treatments last three to six months.
Cost: $389 to $550 per syringe of Zyplast and Zyderm; $600 to $850 for CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast. One to two syringes are used for each treatment.
Radiesse (formerly known as Radiance) is approved by the F.D.A. to strengthen vocal cords, but a few cosmetic doctors have been using it experimentally to fill in cheeks, chins and deep wrinkles. Made of microscopic calcium particles suspended in a gel, it may cause tiny lumps or bumps, doctors say. The effects are expected to last one to three years.
Cost: $900 to $2,000 per treatment.
Restylane, a spongy gel made of hyaluronic acid, is used to fill moderate to deep facial folds or off label, to plump lips. Restylane often causes bruising and swelling for a few days. Treatments last up to six months. Hylaform and Captique, other hyaluronic acids, cause less swelling, but doctors say they last only four to five months.
Cost: $542 to $1,000 per syringe for Restylane, $600 to $850 for Hylaform and Captique. One to two syringes are used for each treatment.
Sculptra is a synthetic compound that has been approved by the F.D.A. to treat facial wasting in AIDS patients. Some doctors use Sculptra off label to fill hollow cheeks associated with ordinary weight loss or aging, but others, including Richard G. Glogau, a San Francisco dermatologist, question whether it might cause inflammation in people with healthy immune systems. Treatments last up to two years.
Cost: $933 to $1,500 per area treated. Three treatments are usually needed.
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