Delonman wrote: If Ellanse essentially does not go away (no one has reported losing any product even after it's supposed duration) then what is really the pro/con between it and PMMA?
Well
PMMA is guaranteed permanence, whereas
Ellanse's duration is a guess, in that it could eventually dissipate, but not as early as the manufacturer suggested (perhaps maybe why it's having issues with FDA Approval in the U.S., but that's just speculation on my part).
That said,
Ellanse's longevity thus far makes it an attractive filler in that the microspheres themselves do in-fact dissipate, it's the type of collagen produced (similar, if not identical) by
PMMA, and that collagen's half-life is seemingly hard to get a precise answer on (I've tried researching online but I may have to defer to the Doctors here in hopes of a clear answer).
PMMA ensures that there is always a neocollagenesis and angiogenesis process by virtue of simply being there (too large to break down or remove by the body, and too small & biological inert to raise red flags by the body, hence its effectiveness in cosmetic medicine).
Ellanse's eventual dissipation of its
PCL microspheres may put a lifetime on the nature of the collagen type produced, and how long that lasts is seemingly something I'm currently investigating.