Juvederm - reuse the syringe for future injections?
I have had Juvederm injected in my horizontal forehead lines by a plastic surgeon in Dec. They said they used a half of the syringe and I could come back in 6 months for another set of injections with the remaining product in the syringe.
I read on your forum this should not be done. Is this standard? In addition, I felt that the injection sites were too few and lumpy. Any suggestions or comments. Thank you
Answers (3)
If your injector reuses your Juvederm syringe, ask how they prevent contamination
Some injectors may elect to do this. This approach must be used with caution, as there is the potential risk for contamination and ultimately, infection.
If you and your injector elect to do so, you may want to ask them about this and the methods they use to help prevent such a problem.
Additionally, there is a "shelf life" to all injectables.
Discard Old Filler Syringes
It is not suggested that half used syringes of any filler product be reused at a later date. Many physicians who attempt to save money for their patients, will label and save half-used syringes for use at a future appointment.
It is not recommended that this be done for a variety of reasons, but primarily you don't want the remaining product in the syringe to become dried out or contaminated. The syringes come sterile in the original packages, and once the product has been opened, you cannot guarantee sterility.
Also, it is possible that labels could get mixed up when a large number of syringes are stored.
The manufacturers of these products warn against this practice. Naturally, this means that it could cost you slightly more, but better to be safe than sorry.
Re-using Juvederm and Restylane syringes
Both Restylane and Juvederm manufacturers do not recommend re-using syringes for future treatments.
Some physicians re-use the syringes after use for the next several months. It is one of the off-label uses of these products.
Off-label treatments, while not FDA approved for a particular indication, are used for many different products, and it usually means they haven't been studied enough for this off-label use. Usually the product has been studied and is approved for other uses. For example, use of Restylane in nasolabial folds is approved and recommended, and the use of Restylane in the lips is off-label. Despite that, many physicians successfully and safely use Restylane in the lips.
The reason for re-using the syringe is, most of the time, just saving money for the patient. Considering how expensive the product is and the price per treatment, some physicians offer to save the product if there is any left. It is usually safe to do. The alternative would be to charge the patient for a new syringe every time, which is certainly an option and some clinics prefer to do it.
All that being said, Juvederm usually does not hold very well after it is opened, and tends to dry out quickly, so we prefer to use the whole syringe and not save it for future use.
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