Novel synthetic dermal fillers based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose: comparison with crosslinked hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers.

Background: The persistence of dermal fillers containing crosslinked hyaluronic acid (XLHA) correlates linearly to the concentration of polymer in solution. For dermal fillers composed of XLHA, a polymer concentration above approximately 25 mg/mL is not practical because it cannot be easily injected through a small-bore needle.

Objective: Formulating dermal fillers from mixtures of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) has several advantages over XLHA.