Last Friday I got to attend a course on the new soft tissue filler- Evolence. This is a Johnson and Johnson product that consists of cross linked collagen, which is a natural protein that makes up much of the connective tissue of the body. The advantages of this product seem to be many, but the primary thing that strikes me is that Evolence seems to last at least 6 months as opposed to the hyaluronic acid products like Restylane and Juviderm. Actually, even more interesting to me as a physician is that there is no inflammation associated with the injections, so what you see at the time of the injection is what you get- there is no need to under-correct with anticipation of future swelling or short term changes. Also, because the collagen is hemostatic (helps decrease bleeding at the injection site), there is minimal to no bruising associated with Evolence.
What does this mean for you? Evolence can be used with immediate expectation of aesthetic results, and you can go out immediately following the injections without concern for swelling and bruising. In fact, one part of this course was the injection of “model” patients- this followed the Evolence lecture on Friday by Dr. John Gross, who is a friend of mine. The model I injected was a lovely woman who was a friend of his office manager, and she reported being very pleased with the results of her Evolence injection immediately following the treatment. After the lecture, Dr. Gross and I met our wives, fiancés, and friends out for dinner, and the model who I injected came along. Even immediately after her procedure, there was no evidence that she had been injected, except for a soft improvement of her nasolabial creases and a more youthful appearance to her mid-face. I was very impressed at the lack of redness, swelling, and bruising- Evolence can really be used immediately before an event or occasion, when you are looking for the improvement of moderate to deep facial lines.
Importantly, only physicians who have attended an Evolence training course can use and inject this product- it is likely to remain a bit more “elitist” than other products that can be found at everyday “medical spas”. I’m very pleased to be able to offer it at our Montecito Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and hope to be able to share Evolence with Santa Barbara patients looking for a longer acting soft tissue filler that has little associated downtime following its use.
