Patient Comfort, Safety, and Effectiveness of Resilient Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Formulated With Different Local Anesthetics

Abstract

BACKGROUNDMaximizing patient comfort during hyaluronic acid gel injection is a common concern that is usually addressed by selecting fillers with lidocaine.OBJECTIVETwo randomized, double-blinded, split-face trials aimed to demonstrate noninferiority of specific hyaluronic acid fillers incorporating mepivacaine (RHA-M) versus their lidocaine controls, at providing pain relief.METHODSThirty subjects per trial received injections of RHAR-M versus RHAR, and RHA4-M versus RHA4, respectively, in the perioral rhytids (PR) and nasolabial folds (NLF). Pain was assessed on a visual analog scale; aesthetic effectiveness was evaluated with validated scales, and safety was monitored based on common treatment responses (CTRs) and adverse events (AEs).RESULTSRHA-M fillers proved as effective as their lidocaine counterparts at reducing pain (noninferior, p