Cosmoceutical Industry Hit Hard by Recession, Part 1: Artefill is Gone

The economic recession has resulted in bankruptcy for at least two cosmetic-medicine companies, and another was gobbled up by a corporate giant.

Artes Medical (based in San Diego) never did sell much Artefill, and so I was hardly surprised to learn that the company had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

• Artefill was an injectable filler, somewhat similar to Restylane and Juvederm.
• The gimmick was that Artefill was permanent (while Restylane and Juvederm last just 6-12 months).
• Permanence can be a good thing (if you are really sure that you want your folds filled up, and if you are tired of annual/semi-annual visits to your plastic surgeon).
• However, permanence can be a bad thing (if you realize that aging can be irregular and unpredictable, such that these implants, over decades, could become bizarrely prominent in your face).  (I have always hoped for an injectable that would last 5-10 years.  None yet exists.)
• Artefill contained a permanent "cement," as well as bovine collagen (derived from cows) as its "vehicle."  Why did Artes Medical choose an animal-based vehicle?  This really turned off a lot of my patients, most of whom support animal rights and many of whom are vegetarians.
• Even worse, non-human collagen necessitates skin testing before any injection.  Hence, patients had to delay any Artefill injection for a month or two while they waited for the results of their skin testing.

Needless to say, Artefill was never a big part of my practice.  Yet, I regret the loss of this option.  I now lack a tool that may have helped in the customized approach for a rare facial-rejuvenation patient.

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[Semi Permanent Make Up]

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