Hyaluronic Acid in Facial Rehabilitation—A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Hyaluronic acid fillers (HAF) are a versatile tool in esthetic medicine. They also have a potential for medical indications including facial rehabilitation. Materials and methods: We performed a literature search on PUBMED and Google Scholar until December 2022. Clinical trials, clinical studies, review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, case series, and case reports were considered for review. Keywords “facial rehabilitation”, “acne scars”, “traumatic scars”, “oral restoration”, “facial lipoatrophy”, “facial asymmetry”, “periocular correction”, “nasal obstruction”, “ear lobe restoration”, “morphea”, AND “hyaluronic acid filler” were used to select articles. Results: We prepared a narrative review on the use of HAF for correction of facial asymmetry and asymmetric lips, improvement of different types of scars, improvement of the jaw line, improvement of ear lobes, periocular and oral restoration, and the treatment of nasal obstruction and morphea en coub de sabre. The amount of HA used in these indications is often less than 1 mL. The bolus technique, fanning, and dual-plane injections can be utilized for treatment. Duration of clinical effects depends upon the anatomical region and is usually maintained between 2 months and 2 years. Adverse events are often mild and temporary. Vascular occlusion is a severe adverse event, but it has not been reported yet for these medical indications. Repeated injections are recommended to obtain a longer-lasting improvement. In cases of morphea, only stable and non-inflammatory plaques should be treated. The advantage of HAF compared to permanent and semipermanent fillers is the availability of hyaluronidase for rapid removal of filler material and to revise overcorrection. Conclusions: HAF play an auxiliary role in facial rehabilitation. Knowledge of filler qualities, anatomy, and underlying diagnoses is important for their safe application. More prospective controlled trials are necessary to improve evidence.