Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are used to plump up thin lines, deep expression wrinkles, and improve the global descent of the facial soft tissue. Typically, they are administered with a syringe or cannula and providers are instructed to discard any remaining filler left in the application device. However, fillers are expensive, so saving the leftovers for future touchups on the same patient would be helpful.
A recent study examined the potential safety of saving and reusing HA fillers by evaluating the microbiological contamination of HA-based fillers stored for a long period after the original cosmetic use in patients. Using a protocol for storage designed for this study, the results showed that after a period of 44 days, no sample had any bacterial or fungal contamination.
The authors conclude that reuse of hyaluronic acid fillers, carefully stored after initial application, is a plausible option, with no increase in the risk of infections to the patient.