BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- As injectable fillers become mainstream it is no surprise people are looking for longer lasting and less expensive alternatives to prevent facial wrinkles. Dr. Arnold Klein, world-renowned cosmetic dermatologist with a busy practice in Beverly Hills says, "Fillers such as Artefill, Radiesse and Sculptra contain injectable Plexiglas, bone and suture material. When injected into human tissue, all of these products can cause foreign body reactions," Klein warned, "in which the body's immune system attacks these implants and bacterial biofilms can encase them, causing hard, red, painful and sometimes oozing nodules." Klein continued, "In the case of Artefill, a permanent filler, we have scientific studies showing these reactions occurred many years after the injections were administered."
With this combination of science and little long-term testing, each patient's response to these products is really unknown, according to Klein. The consequences can include lumps under the skin, long-term scarring and facial deformity Klein warned. Patients go to their dermatologists expecting to achieve a more youthful appearance after their treatments and procedures, yet the long term effect can be devastating with permanent disfigurement years after the procedure, especially in unskilled hands. "You do not want to go to Costco for your facial restoration work, and bargain shopping for cosmetic doctors and procedures can cause disastrous results," Dr. Klein stated.
A recent Los Angeles County Coroner's autopsy report found that a patient's death may have been a result of Artefill and Botox treatments. The patient had been receiving "injections of Artefill into his facial skin ...
" ... there is concern that Bovine derive (sic) substances that are part
of the Artefill preparation may cause immune dysfunction of the lung and
may be a cause of the death of this patient."
Dr. Klein believes there are time-tested and safe products on the market and he uses them daily, but warns that "you never want to put anything in your face that is permanent; permanent fillers cause permanent problems." As with any filler, the injection technique used by the surgeon is very important. His techniques include extreme attention to detail in which he analyzes the patient's facial features and injects the filler very slowly and deliberately, all of which can take time to achieve the best results. This is done painstakingly without compromising the patient's health, and minimizing any discomfort, bruising or swelling associated with the procedures.
"The health and satisfaction of my patients is always my top priority. I hold my practice to the highest standard and do not endorse products that can harm my patients," says Dr. Klein. "Dermatology in its top form is art and the face should be treated that way, with the utmost care." The canvas is the patient's face ... the artist is the dermatologist and the brush is the syringe.
About Dr. Arnold Klein
Dr. Arnold Klein is a member of 28 professional organizations including the American Academy of Dermatology. Dr. Klein is the founder of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR) and Rose-Tarlow-Arnold W. Klein Breast Cancer Foundation at UCLA. Dr. Klein also serves as a trustee to numerous Boards of Directors, including the Jennifer Jones-Simon Foundation, the UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, The Discovery Eye Foundation and the Hereditary Disease Foundation. Dr. Klein also holds an endowed chair in dermatology at UCLA, the Arnold Klein, MD, Chair In Dermatology.
http://www.doctorklein.md/
Dr. Arnold Klein
