Rheology as a Tool to Investigate the Degradability of Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers

Giulia Grimaldi,1 Giulia Galasso,1 Maria Chiara Capillo,1 Giuseppe Alonci,1 Stefano Bighetti,2 Luca Bettolini,2 Sabrina Sommatis,1 Roberto Mocchi,1 Andrea Carugno,3 Nicola Zerbinati4 1UB-CARE S.r.l.-Spin-Off, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 2Dermatology Department, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy; 3Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy; 4University of Insubria, Department of Medicine and Technology Innovation, Varese, ItalyCorrespondence: Stefano Bighetti, Dermatology Department, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, Brescia, 25123, Italy, Tel +39 030 3995301, Fax +39 030 399505, Email [email protected]: In the current landscape of aesthetic medicine, the use of hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dermal fillers is increasingly prevalent. Although HA is widely acknowledged for its safety and efficacy the study of its degradability represents a critical aspect in ensuring safety.Methods: Rotational rheology was chosen to study the HA-based fillers interaction with hyaluronidase enzyme; this allows to establish a correlation between the viscoelastic parameters of the sample and its degradation.Results: The obtained results indicate that the products exhibit sensitivity to the enzyme and that the rheological parameters vary depending on the contact time and dosage of administration.Conclusion: Our findings propose a standardized rheological protocol for assessing the degradability of HA-based dermal fillers, offering an alternative to existing methods.Keywords: hyaluronic acid, adverse drug reaction, aesthetic dermatology, cosmetic dermatology