Hyaluronic Acid Fillers: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going

Since the approval of the United States’ first hyaluronic acid (HA) filler in December 2003, HA fillers have become mainstays of soft tissue augmentation due to their favorable safety profile and minimally invasive treatment nature. The past two decades have not only brought an expansion in the popularity of HA fillers, but also in the number of available HA filler products and indications for cosmetic enhancement. Accordingly, HA filler injection has become one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures worldwide. The progression of HA filler products is a study in both biomedical engineering advancements, as well as evolving concepts of beauty and cosmesis. In this chapter, we review the history of these products, including their composition and indications for use. We then explore the prospect of HA fillers for the future of esthetic medicine, as they remain a vital component of nonsurgical soft tissue augmentation.