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Reframing Hyaluronidase in Aesthetic Medicine: From “Dissolving Filler” to “Modifying Filler”

Aesthetic Surgery Journal
Aesthetic Surgery Journal

Authors: Steven Harris, MBBCh, MSc , Steven Weiner, MD

Summary: Hyaluronidase is often described as “dissolving” dermal filler, but this term oversimplifies how the enzyme actually interacts with long-standing filler within living tissue. This article explains why hyaluronidase more accurately modifies a complex filler–tissue system rather than completely eliminating filler, and why clearer terminology improves patient understanding, clinical decision-making, and ethical practice in aesthetic medicine.

JOURNAL ARTICLE

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