Restylane®

Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona

Injectable filler materials are used to enhance or correct contours on the face or body. Each material has specific properties that influence its application, longevity, and riskbenefit profile. In the United States in 2008 the most popular filler on the market is Restylane®, a hyaluronic acid (HA) product. Restylane® is made in Sweden and imported to the USA. Millions of Restylane injections have been given with an excellent safety profile and success rate. Because there is no animal protein in the filler, allergy testing is not required. Restylane works quite well in tandem with other filler injectables and even with BOTOX® Cosmetic.

What is Restylane?

Restylane® is not derived from animals. HA is a natural complex sugar molecule occurring in all people. HA is also strongly hydrophilic, meaning that it binds with water, and greatly contributes to tissue volume. In the dermis, the deeper layer of the skin, HA helps to maintain volume, shape, and smoothness.  Natural HA is a liquid. HA fillers are cross-linked gels with viscoelastic properties that allow them to retain a desired shape. The cross-linking process helps slow metabolism of the filler, making it last longer. Different versions of the Restylane® HA products are available outside the USA. These can be used for different applications like deep tissue filling and fine lines. Many of these products will be here soon.

As we age, our skin produces less HA, collagen and elastin. Injection of HA helps to restore volume and smoothness to skin for the lifetime of the filler. Restylane® injections help restore volume to skin creases and folds and augment the shape of other areas like the lips, brow, or tear trough area between the nose and lower rim of the eye socket. It can also be used to augment cheek and chin contours. Restylane® has a smooth, natural feel which patients like. It is easy to shape and inject and these properties make it a versatile filler. The diagram shows the level of injection in the skin for different skin problems: fine lines, wrinkles, and deeper folds.

Restylane Application - Copyright Allergan Corporation 2008

Restylane Injections

Restylane® injections require local anesthesia which can be administered by injection and topical routes. Most applications require injection for optimum numbing. Volume and shaping enhancements are shown to the patient as we go to demonstrate improvement and areas that may benefit from additional volume. After injection, there will be some swelling lasting up to 7 days, and some patients will bruise. This can last up to 2 weeks. Camouflage products can help to conceal bruising. Ice, elevation, and mild anti-inflammatory medication like Tylenol® are recommended. Injection results last 4-12 months, with an average of 6 months depending on site of injection, depth of placement, and individual patient metabolism. Longer-lasting results may be obtained with subsequent injections in some areas. Other versions of Restylane® for large volume contouring and very fine lines will add even more versatility to this popular filler.

In addition to Restylane, Dr. Angelchik also performs facial plastic surgery procedures in his Phoenix cosmetic surgery practice. Visit these pages in the website to learn about how Dr. Angelchik treats Phoenix facelift, rhinoplasty, laser resurfacing, brow and forehead lift, otoplasty and blepharoplasty patients.