TOPIC: Mixing Linnea with Belafill?

Hi everyone. I have a few questions. I have had two Linnea PMMA treatmenst that I am satisfied with. I
am considering the new US clinic in Ohio that uses Belafill (Hope that is spelled correctly) in stead of Linnea.
This woud be more cost effective and less time sonsuming. My questions are: Is it safe to mix these products,
would Belafill this provide as good of results as Linnea and it appears not to be as long lasting? Any advice is appreciated.

mpb1968 wrote: Hi everyone. I have a few questions. I have had two Linnea PMMA treatmenst that I am satisfied with. I
am considering the new US clinic in Ohio that uses Belafill (Hope that is spelled correctly) in stead of Linnea.
This woud be more cost effective and less time sonsuming. My questions are: Is it safe to mix these products,
would Belafill this provide as good of results as Linnea and it appears not to be as long lasting? Any advice is appreciated.

This isn't an attack more genuine curiosity. How is it cheaper? Last I was aware for product costs Linnea is like a third of the cost of Bellafill.

Should be no issues mixing at all. And Bellafill is permanent they just can't claim that with their approval process. The spheres are the same material and the collagen formed behaves the same. That said.. keep in mind different carrier, Bellafill only has one concentration option I believe. Also... personally... 'new' clinic is a thing I'd avoid with my own junk but that's up to you. The practitioner should be able to answer all of this as well.

Thanks for the reply. Cost and time savings are based uppon not having to fly out of the country versus being
able to drive to the clinic in the Ohio a few hours away to see Dr. Rupeka.

You don't fly out of the country. You fly to San Diego and drive to Tijuana. There wouldn't be any cost savings. Going with Dr. Rupeka would be over $1,000 more expensive for substantially less product and that's factoring in a flight to San Diego and hotel in Tijuana. That's also NOT factoring in gas expenses and a hotel in Ohio.

Why do you feel it is substantially less a product? Best i can tell, they are very similar?
Thanks.

Bellafill is 20% PMMA and I believe Dr. Rupeka only injects up to 10-12cc at a time? I could be wrong. I'm not aware of anyone getting 15cc's from him. Linnea Safe on the other hand is either 30% or 10%. Most guys get 15-16cc's of 30% and 4-7cc's of 10% totaling over 20cc's. So not only are you getting more cc's, you're getting a higher percentage of PMMA per cc for substantially lower cost.

Ok. Thanks for the information.

I'll add, and I'm not knocking Rupeka, maybe he's amazing, but Bellafill's carrier absorbs at a much slower rate, leaving more time for irregularities to happen. The bovine carrier also has the slim chance of an allergic reaction, I believe they would do an allergy test first. And to add... Last time I was at Avanti I asked Dr Casavantes how many they've enhanced. That was prior to the pandemic and he laughed and said he stopped keeping track of the number in years past once they crossed 5,000 patients. So... there's that level of experience.

I reached out to Dr. Rupeka's office and this is what they shared with me in relation to this topic:
It is safe to layer Bellafill in after being treated with any other dermal filler including Linnea Safe. Dr. Rupeka is comfortable and confident in treating any patients with this injectable as early as 2 weeks.

Hyperbol wrote: Bellafill is 20% PMMA and I believe Dr. Rupeka only injects up to 10-12cc at a time? I could be wrong. I'm not aware of anyone getting 15cc's from him. Linnea Safe on the other hand is either 30% or 10%. Most guys get 15-16cc's of 30% and 4-7cc's of 10% totaling over 20cc's. So not only are you getting more cc's, you're getting a higher percentage of PMMA per cc for substantially lower cost.

What is the advantage of using different percentages of PMMA versus a uniform 20% of PMMA?

justn8 wrote: I'll add, and I'm not knocking Rupeka, maybe he's amazing, but Bellafill's carrier absorbs at a much slower rate, leaving more time for irregularities to happen. The bovine carrier also has the slim chance of an allergic reaction, I believe they would do an allergy test first. And to add... Last time I was at Avanti I asked Dr Casavantes how many they've enhanced. That was prior to the pandemic and he laughed and said he stopped keeping track of the number in years past once they crossed 5,000 patients. So... there's that level of experience.

Is the allergy test typically done on the day of the procedure? Where do they even test? I’m guessing the forearm, so any signs of itching, redness or hive results in a positive allergy test…?

Girther wrote:
What is the advantage of using different percentages of PMMA versus a uniform 20% of PMMA?

Avanti Derma has 30% and 10% PMMA; the 30% is going to have a higher concentration of PMMA beads and thus a more robust neocollagenesis reaction (which means more volume/Girth). The 10% much less so, and is better for spot correcting areas that you don't want to add too much volume to.

The only advantage here for a place like Avanti Derma that has varying concentrations is that they can better tailor a procedure - example: 10cc's of 30% and 5cc's of 10%. That said, 20% is a happy medium and can still be just as adequate in producing results, so I don't know that the advantage of having different percentages is a significant one.

I just had my consultation with Dr. Morganstern this morning as I'm interested in their Bellafill procedure. I've had 22ml of Ellanse L (3 year lifespan) injected with Dr. C in Tijuana over two trips about a year apart. My first round is coming up on exactly 3 years ago and I've noticed some nodules on the lower right of my shaft that weren't there before so I believe this to be related to the resorption of the Ellanse although my MEG measurements remain unchanged. Just to restate, I haven't lost size, I've just noticed a bit of lumpiness to the touch recently that I don't recall being there before. I've been searching the boards for months now to see if anyone else in my position (prior Ellanse approaching end of life) have had similar experiences but haven't found much so I thought I'd put my experience out there.

With that being said, I thought it time for a touchup with Dr. Carney at Morganstern but was concerned that I may not be able to given my prior Ellanse filler. Dr. Morganstern said it was no problem to inject Bellafill on top of the existing Ellanse insinuating that the existing collagen created from the Ellanse filler will be a beneficial base for the Bellafill. I also asked about having the allergy test done and he said he has never seen an allergic reaction in the 4 years they've been using Bellafill and didn't deem the allergy test necessary but, if I wanted it, they could overnight it to my primary care physician to administer.

I'm currently getting my ducks in a row but I think I'll most likely pull the trigger on this in the next month or two. Just thought I'd throw my experience out there as well.

@tinoba did you end up getting it done?

Yep, I ended up getting it done and it's been fine. Actually going back for a touch up in a few weeks. Hoping I'll be set for good after the upcoming touch up