Other Injectables

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers: Get to Know Hylaform, Elevess and Captique

Reviewed by Yael Halaas, MD

The injectable market remains one of the fastest growing categories in all of facial plastic surgery, and hyaluronic acid-based fillers are among the most popular players in this field. Other soft tissue filler options include Sculptra and Radiesse. Wrinkle reducers like Botox and Dysport also fall into the injectables category and may be used along with soft tissue fillers as part of an overall facial treatment strategy. Laviv injections, which are made from your own skin cells, are another option.

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Fillers

Hylaform and Hylaform Plus, Captique and Elevess are hyaluronic acid-based soft-tissue fillers. Found naturally in the connective tissues of your body, your hyaluronic acid supply decreases with advancing age and exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation rays.

Hylaform and Hylafrom Plus are approved to add volume to moderate to severe creases around the mouth. Both products are derived from roosters. As a result, people with sensitivity to bird products may have allergic reactions to these products.

Hylaform Plus contains larger hyaluronic acid particles than Hylaform, making it a better bet for deeper facial folds. Hylaform and Hylaform Plus cost about $650 per syringe, and their results last from six to 12 months. Side effects may include injection site redness and swelling.

Captique is another hyaluronic acid-based filler on the market. It is made of non-animal derived hyaluronic acid and does not require an allergy test. It costs about $600 per syringe, and some doctors still consider it the gold standard for erasing frown lines.

Elevess stands out from the pack of hyaluronic acid-based fillers as the first (but no longer the only) FDA-approved dermal filler to contain the anesthetic lidocaine, which helps lessen the pain of injection. Elevess results last from three to six months, and costs range from $500 to $700 per syringe.