Calcium Hydroxylapatite and PLLA Fillers

Before this step, read Hyaluronic Acid as a Filler Material. This page covers two other filler materials, calcium hydroxylapatite and poly-L-lactic acid, and ends with a check that you can tell them apart.

What the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration names both materials in its consumer update on dermal filler dos and don'ts for wrinkles, lips and more. It states: "Calcium hydroxylapatite, a mineral and a major component of bone Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a biodegradable, synthetic material".

Read that line as two entries. The first names a mineral. The second names a synthetic material and gives its abbreviation, PLLA.

Calcium hydroxylapatite

Wikipedia has a general entry on the mineral under hydroxylapatite. Read it to fix the name and the spelling before you meet it on a product sheet.

Poly-L-lactic acid

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives a second description on its page for approved fillers. It states: "PLLA is a biodegradable, biocompatible man-made polymer."

Both sentences describe the same material from two angles. Cleveland Clinic's overview of dermal fillers, their types, benefits and side effects is a good place to read about the wider family of fillers once you have these two definitions fixed.

Telling the two materials apart

You are done with this step when you can say in one sentence what each material is, using the wording above. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery page on injectable fillers is a final cross-check. Then move on to Selecting a Product for the Desired Effect.