What is Juvederm?

Juvederm is one of the newest, "next generation" substances in cosmeticsurgery known as "dermal fillers" or "injectable fillers." Because more patients want quick procedures that show almost immediate results with little, or no, downtime, Juvederm has become extremely popular with consumers; the substance is often used by cosmetic, dermatological and plastic surgeons. Made of a natural substance known as hyaluronic acid, Juvederm is FDA approved and -- like Restylane and Botox -- is one of the fastest growing non-surgical aesthetic procedures in the United States.

Juvederm is often used to:

• Plump up folds that run from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth
• Fill in the prominent vertical wrinkles, (the "11s") between the eyebrows
• Augment the hollows under the eyes
• Reduce the "Marionette lines," the downturned creases at the corner of the mouth
• Scar correction
• Augment thin or aging lips

Hyaluronic acid is important because one of its chief functions in the human body is maintaining skin volume and hydration. In medicine, hyaluronic acid has been used to ease joint pain, treat wounds and in eye surgery. In was used for the first time in 1996 in Europe for facial tissue augmentation.