Before LED light is shined on it, the injected gel is still fluid and
can fill up any gaps of spaces under the skin.

What’s the News: Scientists have developed a gel that could be used to rebuild the faces of crash victims. Activated by light, it solves several of the problems inherent in the usual methods.

What’s the Context:

Dealing with damaged soft tissue is often more complex than dealing with damaged bone and skin. The shape of someone’s face is dependent on the fat, muscle, and other tissue below the surface, and doctors trying to restore someone’s facial structure must contend with scar tissue, swelling, and loss of movement.
Current methods include injecting hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring molecule that helps thicken the gel that surrounds cells in the body, or synthetic materials, but both of these have their issues: HA injections don’t last, and synthetic materials can cause inflammation. Grafting soft tissue from other parts of the body is also an option, but that can cause scar tissue to form where it was removed and at the graft site.
Additionally, it’s not possible to control the shape of the synthetic materials after they’re ...