Objective and Subjective Measurements of Cutaneous Inflammation after a Novel Hyaluronic Acid Injection

Abstract

BACKGROUND Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers are commonly used to minimize the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles. However, after the injection of HA, there is normally a mild inflammatory reaction. All published studies to date have measured this unwanted side effect by subjective means only. OBJECTIVE The primary objective was to determine the magnitude and duration of the inflammation induced by injection of a novel HA using objective and subjective means. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was an open study in 25 normal volunteer subjects. All subjects had a single injection and were assessed objectively using an erythema meter and infrared thermometer and subjectively using established clinical scales. RESULTS The erythema meter and the infrared thermometer objectively measured the mild cutaneous inflammation, which was transitory in nature. These objective measurements correlated well with the subjective clinical scores. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show that the erythema meter and the infrared thermometer are effective tools to objectively measure mild inflammation post-HA injection.