Here’s an article I wrote for Medium about how much fillers have changed since I brought Restylane to market in 2003 — and that is a benefit to physicians and consumers alike.
It seems difficult to imagine in today’s filler-filled day and age that there was ever a time when you couldn’t have your lips plumped or your marionette lines smoothed at your dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office or even local med spa. (Note: You should always see a licensed practitioner.) But if you were to visit your doctor in the 1980s, 90s, or very early aughts requesting more fullness in your lips or face, the only dermal filler option available would have been one made from bovine collagen, which was problematic for several reasons. Firstly, many people are allergic to the ingredient, which meant that a skin test and the four weeks required to see if you had an adverse-reaction were prerequisites to injection. Bovine collagen is also animal-derived, which many people object to for religious or ethical reasons, not to mention that its results tend to disappear rather quickly.
Read more here