Dr. Diane Walder, Dermatologist and Dermatologic Surgeon

Dr. Diane Walder

What is LAVIV and what is it used for?

Imagine using your body’s own collagen-producing fibroblast cells to improve the look of your smile lines. Recently approved by the FDA to stimulate collagen in nasolabial folds (those “parentheses” wrinkles around your mouth), LAVIV is the only treatment of its kind to utilize a patient’s own cells to regrow healthy collagen in the skin. Customized for each client based on that person’s unique genetic makeup, treatment begins by duplicating the body’s collagen producing fibroblast cells and then gently injecting them into smile lines.

Fibroblast cells are responsible for collagen production in the body and when re-injected in a high concentration, they behave like younger cells, which increase the skin’s natural firmness and suppleness. By duplicating these cells, dermatologists can create an exact biological match of one’s skin type that reduces smile lines without the use of silicone or fillers.

Dubbed one of this year’s biggest beauty breakthroughs by Allure magazine, LAVIV is a revolutionary new treatment that complements conventional fillers, such as Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Juvederm, and Sculptra. What makes this anti-aging skin-care procedure unique is that it’s actually made by you, as it comes from your own skin, and one’s cells can be kept on file and used for future treatments for up to three years. Each LAVIV therapy takes 12 weeks to prepare while the client’s fibroblast cells are duplicated and refined into a unique treatment made exclusively for them. The cells are then injected into a patient’s fine lines and wrinkles over the course of three treatment sessions.