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The experience of 20 patients with striae distensae of varying etiologies and the treatment with topical tretinoin is described. Of the 16 patients who completed the study, 15 had significant improvement in their clinical picture.

With the understanding of the role of soft tissue augmentation in the overall treatment of the aging face as well as risk factors and ways to minimize the side effects, dermatologic surgeons can reach the goal of effectively treating patients with these materials.

The experience of 400 consecutive patients evaluated for soft tissue augmentation for a variety of contour defects is reviewed here. The first 200 patients were evaluated with only a single skin test prior to treatment, whereas the second group were skin tested twice. The rate of hypersensitivity to the first skin test was the same in both groups, 5 out of 200 (2.5%). In the 195 patients receiving treatment after a single negative skin test, 6 (3.1%) developed hypersensitivity reaction at treatment sites. In the second group, where double skin testing was employed, an additional 7 patients had a positive second skin test (3.5%). There were no allergic reactions in the 171 patients who received treatment after two negative skin tests.

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