HIV-related lipodystrophy and facial lipoatrophy: The role of Restylane SubQ in reversing facial wasting

Accordingly, many treatment-experienced HIV patients are requesting, and being treated with, various dermal fillers for cosmetic correction of facial lipoatrophy. Prior to the introduction of HAART, when life expectancy for the HIV-infected individual was severely limited, permanent fillers were widely used for this purpose. Because these products remain in situ indefinitely and the facial soft tissues change over time, the permanent fillers are no longer a satisfactory treatment option. Now that HIV infection has been transformed into a chronic but not necessarily life-threatening disease, there is an urgent need for a safe, biodegradable, and biocompatible alternative dermal filler for treating HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy.