ABSTRACT
The correction of facial skin aging with injectable products is an increasingly commonmedical procedure which is subject to several legal obligations: an obligation to provide due care, an obligation to inform the subject, and an obligation of continuing education for the practitioner. There are two types of injectable products available
to correct wrinkles that have different mechanisms of action: dermal fillers enhance volume, and botulinum toxin reduces muscle contraction. In 1993, dermal fillers, which had until then been considered as drugs, were included in the category of medical devices, and hence no longer required a marketing authorization. Botulinum toxin, on the other hand, is considered as an injectable drug, and as such is subject to much stricter rules and regulations, and is required to have a marketing authorization. Nevertheless, there are legal obligations that apply to both types of products: the practitioners using them must be familiar with their characteristics (doses, side-effects), must be adequately trained to use them, and must give information on the product to the subject prior to the procedure.
