"A lot of doctors are afraid to use it in the lips because you get those little nubbins," says Toronto cosmetic surgeon Dr. Stephen Mulholland, who describes himself as using "gallons" of Artecoll. "In about 50 per cent of (lip) patients you have lumps — no question about it. And patients need to know that."
Most nodules are small. Often they can't be seen and are only felt by patients. But some bumps are plainly visible.
"They're like little pebbles or rocks in my lip," says a 28-year-old Kitchener woman with two pea-sized nodules in the corner of her mouth. They developed after Artecoll injections 1 1/2 years ago. Steroid injections failed to bring down the swelling so she's planning to have the lumps surgically removed.
"I certainly don't look forward to someone cutting the back of my lip, on the inside, to take it out," she says. Self-conscious about her appearance, she asked not to be identified.
Cases like hers convinced De Lorenzi to quit using Artecoll in the lips, although he says it remains a good way to erase wrinkles and puff out scars. "I still use the product. I just wouldn't want my wife or daughter using this stuff in their lips."
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