FDA Approves Juvéderm Vollure XC for Laugh Lines, Notes Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology
Juvéderm Vollure XC is the first FDA-approved HA filler for moderate to severe facial wrinkles that lasts up to 18 months
The old adage of putting one’s best face forward has some wisdom behind it. An individual’s face is an important aspect of how the world views them, and many people want to present a face that looks as young and as healthy as possible. While the skin itself is the largest organ of the human body, coming in at roughly 18.5 square feet, the face is what captures the most attention. (1) Sonnets are written about the rosy blush in one’s cheeks or the fullness of the lips, not the texture of one’s knees or elbows. However, many wrinkles and lines appear as one gets older, especially around the mouth. Many people seek to revitalize their appearance by having a dermal filler injected to plump up the skin and restore the appearance of a younger visage. While there are a good number of fillers on the market, licensed dermatologists, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology, are excited about the recent FDA approval of Juvéderm Vollure XC for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles, such as the laugh lines.
The approval of Juvéderm Vollure XC by the FDA is good news for those seeking a minimally-invasive procedure to deal with those pesky laugh lines. The use of dermal fillers has proven extremely popular with those seeking to enhance their appearance and look younger by smoothing out and reducing wrinkles. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that the application of soft tissue fillers was the second most popular minimally-invasive procedure in 2016, with a grand total of 2.6 million procedures being performed. (2) One of the problem areas that people want work done upon are the nasolabial folds, or more commonly known as the laugh lines. These lines become more pronounced as one ages as the ligaments around the mouth and chin loosen, which then allows the fatty tissue in the cheeks to sag. Medical professionals, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology of Las Vegas, know that many older individuals, especially women, are not happy with the appearance of their laugh lines. Studies have shown that most women over the age of thirty-five were not happy with their laugh lines, and a Canadian study in 2013 showed that one in five women, aged thirty to sixty, were bothered by their laugh lines as they felt that their nasolabial folds made them look older than what the women actually were. (3)
The FDA has recently approved the use of Juvéderm Vollure XC to treat moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds in adults older than twenty-one years. Allergan, the maker of Juvéderm Vollure XC, ran a clinical trial that showed the long-lasting effects of the hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler. In the trial, 59% of patients saw improvement in their laugh lines for up to eighteen months, and a full 82% of patients said that they were very satisfied with the results at six months. At eighteen months, the percentage of patients who expressed being very satisfied was 68%, which is a remarkable number. (4) Experienced dermatologists, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology, are happy to have another tool at their disposal to use on behalf of their patients. They also note that Juvéderm Vollure XC is the first and only FDA-approved HA filler for moderate to severe facial wrinkles that lasts up to a full eighteen months.
Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology in Las Vegas says, “I can’t wait to begin using Juvéderm Vollure XC to help improve the appearance of my patients by greatly decreasing the visibility of those pesky laugh lines we all get as we get older. This new treatment adds subtle volume for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds to provide a more youthful look that is also highly natural. Juvéderm Vollure XC is a custom engineered injectable gel that truly delivers immediate and long-lasting results that my patients are going to love. This new FDA-approved dermal filler lasts for such a long time due to the fact that it has been formulated with Allergan’s proprietary Vycross technology, which blends different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, thus contributing to the gel’s duration. Clinical trials have shown the safety and effectiveness of this new treatment, not to mention the very high rate of patient satisfaction. As an AMFAST Allergan trainer, I will be able to begin offering Juvéderm Vollure XC to my clients in April and won’t have to wait for the commercial launch. As with any cosmetic procedure, there can be some side effects that are experienced. The most common side effects associated with Juvéderm Vollure XC are redness at the injection site, swelling, tenderness, pain, firmness, bruising, itching, lumps/bumps, and discoloration. These side effects usually cleared up within seven days during the clinical trial.” (5)
Individuals now have an FDA-approved treatment for those pesky laugh lines that will last for up to eighteen months in the form of Juvéderm Vollure XC. Licensed medical professionals, such as Dr. F. Victor Rueckl of Lakes Dermatology, are eager to begin using this new dermal filler to help their patients look younger and feel better. Clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of Juvéderm Vollure XC as well as its lengthy duration of up to eighteen months.
For many years, Dr. Rueckl was the only injector at Lakes Dermatology. But after years of training them with his personal techniques and intricacies, Melanie Wade, BSN, RN, and Ross Davis, PA are both now injecting at our office as well.
