ABSTRACT
As soft tissue augmentation products have become more effective, safer, and have increased in number over the years, so too have adjunctive therapies used to treat other aspects of the aging face. Much of the development in both soft tissue products and topical therapies has evolved most recently owing to the demographics of the aging population, particularly the ‘‘baby boomers.’’ This is beneficial in that science has attempted to keep up with the demands; however, this has also led to overpromising by manufacturers and greater expectations on the part of the patient than is realistic. This is particularly true in the area of topical therapy and especially of some of the newer noninvasive procedures that have been developed. This chapter will take a close look at products, claims, and the marketing of drugs, cosmetics, and cosmeceuticals. It is, however, important to review the concept of the interacting factors of the aging face to understand the potential for improvement with a filler or neuromuscular blocking agent, as well as understand where noninvasive procedures and topical therapy fit into the armamentarium available to reverse the aging appearance.
