The Safety and Efficacy of Combining Poly-L-Lactic Acid with Intense Pulsed Light in Facial Rejuvenation: A Retrospective Study of 90 Patients

BACKGROUND: Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is an effective treatment for panfacial volumization. Typically, patients who are candidates for volume restoration can benefit from lasers and light sources for photorejuvenation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining PLLA with intense pulsed light (IPL) in facial photorejuvenation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center study of 90 patients treated with IPL immediately before or as early as 6 days after PLLA injection from January 2003 and June 2011. Patients were contacted with regard to efficacy and adverse reactions after their treatment. RESULTS: One hundred fifteen patients had IPL treatments to the face from immediately before to up to 700 days after PLLA injection to the face. Ninety patients responded; 19% experienced edema, 17% bruising, 10% erythema, 7% nodule formation after PLLA injections with 0 nodules occurring after IPL, and 12% mild discomfort during the IPL treatment. The majority of patients (86.7%) reported at least mild photorejuvenating effects from the combination of PLLA and IPL treatments, with 64.4% reporting good to excellent correction independent of number of treatments. CONCLUSION: The combination of PLLA with IPL in photorejuvenation of the face is safe and effective.