Physician Professes His Love for Silicone

Injectable silicone has taken a public beating recently, blamed for everything from “trout pout” to death.

But the compound—and using it off label for cosmetic purposes—shouldn’t be sliding down a slippery slope into oblivion, Dr. Jay G. Barnett told a packed audience yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, in Orlando.

Liquid silicone is an enormously effective facial filler, he said, with the ability to permanently smooth out wrinkles, normalize the look of disease-related facial atrophy, and virtually erase scarring.

“As a physician, using silicone to treat scars is my reason d’etre,” said Dr. Barnett, showing immediate post-procedure photos of a patient with tears of gratitude in her eyes. “I get a lot of hugs and kisses.”

A dermatologist in New York City, Dr. Barnett claimed to have treated thousands of patients with microdroplet injections—usually less than a single cc—with not a single complication. Photos showed scars and other defects smoothed in minutes, and patients still looking good after 30 years.

His presentation obviously struck a chord. As soon as he stepped off the platform, Dr. Barnett was handing out cards to a dozen eager fans. But he apparently didn’t win all hearts and minds. During the panel discussion, Dr. Barnett fielded several hardballs from physicians whose silicone stories didn’t have quite so rosy an ending.

One said she had used the compound on two patients, both of whom developed granulomas that had to be surgically excised. Another told of desperate women coming to her with “plum-sized lumps” after attending parties where quasi-health professionals injected them with what they claimed to be medical-grade liquid silicone.

Dr. Barnett was apparently no stranger to their angst—or his own.  “For years, I’ve felt responsible and guilty over every negative story about silicone,” he said. “I can only go by what has happened to me. I’ve done 15,000-20,000 of these over 40 years with no complications, and I cannot be responsible for the rest of the world.”

What do you think? Can liquid silicone be safely used as facial filler? Or should dermatologists stick to the products that have been specifically approved for this purpose?

Michele G. Sullivan
Mid-Atlantic Bureau

Injectable silicone has taken a public beating recently, blamed for everything from “trout pout” to death.

But the compound—and using it off label for cosmetic purposes—shouldn’t be sliding down a slippery slope into oblivion, Dr. Jay G. Barnett told a packed audience yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, in Orlando.

Liquid silicone is an enormously effective facial filler, he said, with the ability to permanently smooth out wrinkles, normalize the look of disease-related facial atrophy, and virtually erase scarring.

“As a physician, using silicone to treat scars is my reason d’etre,” said Dr. Barnett, showing immediate post-procedure photos of a patient with tears of gratitude in her eyes. “I get a lot of hugs and kisses.”

A dermatologist in New York City, Dr. Barnett claimed to have treated thousands of patients with microdroplet injections—usually less than a single cc—with not a single complication. Photos showed scars and other defects smoothed in minutes, and patients still looking good after 30 years.

His presentation obviously struck a chord. As soon as he stepped off the platform, Dr. Barnett was handing out cards to a dozen eager fans. But he apparently didn’t win all hearts and minds. During the panel discussion, Dr. Barnett fielded several hardballs from physicians whose silicone stories didn’t have quite so rosy an ending.

One said she had used the compound on two patients, both of whom developed granulomas that had to be surgically excised. Another told of desperate women coming to her with “plum-sized lumps” after attending parties where quasi-health professionals injected them with what they claimed to be medical-grade liquid silicone.

Dr. Barnett was apparently no stranger to their angst—or his own.  “For years, I’ve felt responsible and guilty over every negative story about silicone,” he said. “I can only go by what has happened to me. I’ve done 15,000-20,000 of these over 40 years with no complications, and I cannot be responsible for the rest of the world.”

What do you think? Can liquid silicone be safely used as facial filler? Or should dermatologists stick to the products that have been specifically approved for this purpose?

Michele G. Sullivan
Mid-Atlantic Bureau

Injectable silicone has taken a public beating recently, blamed for everything from “trout pout” to death.

But the compound—and using it off label for cosmetic purposes—shouldn’t be sliding down a slippery slope into oblivion, Dr. Jay G. Barnett told a packed audience yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, in Orlando.

Liquid silicone is an enormously effective facial filler, he said, with the ability to permanently smooth out wrinkles, normalize the look of disease-related facial atrophy, and virtually erase scarring.

“As a physician, using silicone to treat scars is my reason d’etre,” said Dr. Barnett, showing immediate post-procedure photos of a patient with tears of gratitude in her eyes. “I get a lot of hugs and kisses.”

A dermatologist in New York City, Dr. Barnett claimed to have treated thousands of patients with microdroplet injections—usually less than a single cc—with not a single complication. Photos showed scars and other defects smoothed in minutes, and patients still looking good after 30 years.

His presentation obviously struck a chord. As soon as he stepped off the platform, Dr. Barnett was handing out cards to a dozen eager fans. But he apparently didn’t win all hearts and minds. During the panel discussion, Dr. Barnett fielded several hardballs from physicians whose silicone stories didn’t have quite so rosy an ending.

One said she had used the compound on two patients, both of whom developed granulomas that had to be surgically excised. Another told of desperate women coming to her with “plum-sized lumps” after attending parties where quasi-health professionals injected them with what they claimed to be medical-grade liquid silicone.

Dr. Barnett was apparently no stranger to their angst—or his own.  “For years, I’ve felt responsible and guilty over every negative story about silicone,” he said. “I can only go by what has happened to me. I’ve done 15,000-20,000 of these over 40 years with no complications, and I cannot be responsible for the rest of the world.”

What do you think? Can liquid silicone be safely used as facial filler? Or should dermatologists stick to the products that have been specifically approved for this purpose?

Michele G. Sullivan
Mid-Atlantic Bureau