Can Injectable Fillers be Used On My Elbows?

Q: Hi Dr Eppley, I was wondering if fillers can be used on a sagging elbow area instead of the surgical procedure?

A: Sagging of skin around the elbow area can be the result of age, body type, and weight loss. Most commonly I have seen it to be an issue in the extreme weight loss patient (greater than 75 to 100 lb weight loss) and it is one of the areas dealt with using bariatric plastic surgery techniques. While the usual approach to loose skin is to cut it out, the creation of a scar around a joint area can be problematic. The skin around joints, such as the elbows and knees, is not meant to be fixed. Rather it needs to have some flexibility and movement so the joint can go through its range of motion. Scarring around the joint may cause joint motion restriction in the long run and wound healing problems in the short run. (motion across a suture line) Known as elbow or knee lifts, the excision of loose skin must be carefully done to avoid these problems.

I suspect in this question that it is not a weight loss issue. Rather it likely  is aging and the development of some loose skin around the elbow in an otherwise non-overweight person. (can particularly happen in an aging thin person) Therefore, excision and the scar that it creates is not an acceptable solution. This changes the approach to maybe an opposite solution…filling or reinflating the tissues. While injectable fillers can be placed anywhere, their temporary effects and the large volumes needed for a body area make them impractical. The only soft tissue filling option to be considered would be fat grafts. Harvested by liposuction, fat can be purified and then reinjected into soft tissue spaces. This is the only option I would consider when it comes to injecting any body area.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana