The desire to be beautiful is human nature. According to statistics, the percentage of modern women willing to perform cosmetic surgery to change their appearance is over 70%. Through this we can see that no matter how beautiful a woman is, she will still not be satisfied with herself. Cosmetic surgery is a traditional profession performed manually, there are still some unavoidable risks, such as surgery scars, post surgery recovery time, natural looking, and satisfaction rate, etc… Among them the most concerned by women, are the scars resulting from the surgery; after all having an incision made on a originally flawless face, or inserting some kind of unknown material really takes courage. Because of these concerns, many women are afraid to try cosmetic surgery, and waste their years of youth.

The cosmetic surgery industry of course discovered the existence of these concerns, so biotechnological companies around the world use all types of means to research and develop non-surgical cosmetic procedures. So cosmetic surgery through just injection and all types of fillers slowly started appearing in the market around a decade ago, the so called micro cosmetic surgery also was developed, becoming a popular method in recent years. However, the majority of injectable products such as hyaluronic acid and collagen have shorter term effects; around 6 to 9 months or even a year, they will totally be decomposed by the human body and disappear, requiring repeated injections and causing customers long term burdens and inconveniences. These types of materials due to their smaller molecular dimensions are very effective in curing wrinkles or unevenness of the skin, but if used for nose jobs, chin lifts, cheek lifts, or any other body parts, the results are not as effective, and the costs would be high. Therefore, we can say hyaluronic acid and short-term fillers can be used as supplementary treatments to complement the deficiencies of traditional surgeries, but cannot be used to replace the results of traditional surgery, because their effectiveness is only temporary and will eventually disappear with time.

With the introduction of Aquamid (permanent) injectable filling, the situation has changed significantly. This rejuvenating injection that allows Hollywood stars to disregard distance and travel all the way to Europe to get, is finally officially authorized to be used in Taiwan. Aquamid is a long term injectable filling produced in Denmark, this product has already been used in Europe for around ten years, with positive reviews from cosmetic surgeons and consumers. Aquamid is formed by 97.5% distilled water, and only around 2.5% polyacrylamid gel (PAAG), it is a hydrophilic non-toxic material, that mainly converts water into a thick substance, remaining because it is hard for the body to absorb, which is the main reason why it is a long term filling. However, since polyacrylamid cannot be absorbed by human metabolism, its permanent existence in human tissue may release some free radicals. There are concerns that they might be harmful to the human body, therefore, it is not recommended to be injected in large quantities; generally it is suggested to keep the dose within 15cc. The USA FDA, Europe, Australia, Central / South America, and Japan have all authorized Aquamid to be legally used as an injectable filling. Doctors use it mainly for chin lifts, nose jobs, wrinkles, cheek lifts, or cheekbone lifts…etc., you could say that whatever part of your body needs to be fuller looking, Aquamid can give the consumers satisfactory results.

I have had the privilege to meet this star product in Japan and Korea. I also had the opportunity to go to Italy for further education and training to use this product, and have exchanged information with the local doctors there. Basically Aquamid, even though very convenient to use, still has points that are worth the consumers understanding: first of all, after a month this injectable will integrate with skin tissue, you will not feel any lumps, and it will not feel uneven either. Second of all, Aquamid after about one month and half of being injected, may be dissolved by the human body (around 10 to 15%), at that time you may feel the effects of this injection are flatter, but after that, it will steadily and permanently be preserved inside the body, and its effects will last at least 10 years. Thirdly, this material still has its own weight; if possible, injecting larger quantities in the face or in the chest area should be avoided, to prevent the possibility of loosening and sagging with age. Lastly is a guarantee for consumers, if there were detailed records made before injection, or pictures preserved, if later on you dislike the injection, the doctor can still extract it, but only if specialized and professionally trained doctors are searched for, thus allowing Aquamid to be injected safely and conveniently.

With the appearance of Aquamid, it has caused traditional fat tissue implanting to be less used and accepted by doctors and consumers, mainly because with this method, the problems with fat tissue being reabsorbed and the lumps or unevenness cannot be completely resolved; in addition, long post surgery recovery time is troublesome for patients. The use of Aquamid is very broad, it can almost be the substitute for all traditional face lifts and wrinkle procedures, there is no swelling after the procedure, and patients can resume work the very next day, really satisfying the woman’s desire to be beautiful. But I will still like to remind everyone, the experience of using this kind of injectable material has only been around ten years, although in theory it looks safe, I would still suggest applying it in smaller dosage as supplementary fix for a better looking face shape, and not over using it, because the costs associated with this procedure are significantly higher. It is currently approved by the government to be used in Taiwan, for anyone who would like to try it, please consult with your physician.