Study examines safety of storing and reusing hyaluronic acid fillers

A study has been carried out to explore the safety of reusing remaining hyaluronic acid filler product for later touch-up in the same patient.

The objectives of the study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, were to determine the microbiological safety of reusing hyaluronic acid that is remnant from syringes used for facial filling, stored at room temperature or cooled in a refrigerator at 4°C.

In culture medium, small aliquots of leftovers from 31 hyaluronic acid fillers, previously used for facial filling, were inoculated. The fillers were stored in their original syringes at room temperature or cooled in a standard refrigerator at 4°C for a period ranging from one week to 12 months after initial use.

After 42 days of inoculation in culture medium, none of the samples showed any aerobic or anaerobic bacterial or fungal growth.

The authors concluded that hyaluronic acid fillers did not show any fungal or bacterial contamination after being opened and stored at room temperature in nonaseptic conditions. They said the possibility of reusing the remaining portion of the material in the syringe could be safe and economically viable.

The limitations of the study were that the small number of samples limits extrapolation of the results obtained.