Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid (HA) and Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) treatments are highly regarded for their effectiveness in facial rejuvenation. AIM: To investigate whether adding Profhilo enhances the effects of BTX-A for frontal skin rejuvenation. METHOD: In a prospective clinical trial, 10 subjects were treated by upper face Profhilo plus Botulinum toxin A injection, and 10 age- and sex-matched controls received only Botulinum toxin A injection. Clinical and sonographic improvement were compared 3 months after the last treatment session. RESULTS: A total of 20 participants (10 patients in each group), including 8 males (80%) and 2 females (20%) in the case group and 7 males (70%) and 3 females (30%) in the control group, were enrolled in the study. According to Merz scores before and 3 months after treatment, the wrinkles were dramatically reduced in both groups (p value: < 0.001 for each group), with treatment results not significantly different between two groups (p value: 0.633). None of the sonographic variables, including dermis and hypodermis thickness and elasticity, significantly changed after treatment with BTX-A alone (p values: 0.910 and 0.770, respectively) or with Profhilo injection (p values: 0.261 and 0.670, respectively). CONCLUSION: We have shown that adding Profhilo to BTX-A injection does not have any short-term clinical or sonographic advantage in frontal area wrinkle reduction. Further prospective studies with a longer follow-up period are warranted to evaluate any potential long-term effects.