New Treatment Approved for HIV-Related Facial Wasting
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the injectable filler Radiesse for the treatment of HIV-related facial wasting. Facial wasting is a major concern for many people living with HIV. It is basically a loss of fat under the skin of the face. Facial wasting can cause changes in appearance such as sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, indentations, or a generally gaunt look. Facial wasting and other forms of abnormal fat loss (lipoatrophy) have been associated with HIV treatment involving the drugs d4T and AZT.
Radiesse is the second substance that FDA has approved specifically for HIV-related facial wasting. (The first, Sculptra, was approved in 2004.) FDA describes Radiesse as “a sterile, semi-solid implant consisting of synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite suspended in a gel carrier.” Radiesse is injected beneath the skin to fill in areas where fat has been lost. People receive an initial treatment, followed by “touch-up” injections as needed. Most people require two or three treatments. Radiesse is designed both to fill in areas of fat loss and to stimulate the body to produce new collagen. As a result, the benefits of the treatment are expected to last an average of one year or more. The most common side effects of Radiesse injections are temporary swelling, bruising, reddening, or discomfort at the injection sites.
Check out www.facialwasting.org or e-mail me at health@aac.org if you’d like to learn more about facial wasting and lipoatrophy.
