Anti-wrinkle treatments are a favorite with many middle-aged people who want to turn back time. Most anti-wrinkle treatments take more than one session to erase wrinkles. Wouldn’t it be great if just a single injection could combat all those wrinkle at one go? Some experts believe that ArteFill, the new so-called ‘permanent filler’ could do just that.

There are conflicting views because some doctors do not agree that ArteFill – currently awaiting US Food and Drug Administration – can live up to its promises. Some plastic surgeons feel that ArteFill can cause granulomas – unsightly bumps in the lips and nasolabial folds.

On the other hand, other physicians look on ArteFill as one more valued tool to banish wrinkles. They feel that if the injection is placed properly, there won’t be any granulomas, and other wrinkle-fillers entail risks too.

Banishing wrinkles with so-called \'soft tissue fillers\' such as Restylane or collagen can be a high-maintenance, expensive proposition, which involves frequent trips to the dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.

ArteFill is made up of microspheres of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), the most commonly used artificial implant material used in the body, according to the manufacturer of the filler, Artes Medical of San Diego. PMMA is suspended in a gel containing bovine collagen along with 0.3 percent lidocaine, added to help with numbing during injection. ArteFill is asking for FDA approval only for the correction of facial wrinkles called nasolabial folds, also known as ‘smile lines.’

The company claims that, unlike other products, PMMA is resistant to natural human enzymes that typically break down fillers. Macrophages, the body\'s natural \'scavenger cells,\' also leave PMMA alone, the company said. All of this means the tiny microspheres are not absorbed or degraded by the body over time.

ArteFill is expected to cost about 50 percent more than the older filler, Restylane, which is typically about R3 500 or R4 200 per syringe or cc.