Restylane Injections

Overview

What is Restylane?

Restylane is an FDA approved dermal filler that consist of hyaluronic acid (HA) that is used to correct the effects of aging on the face, neck, lips and hands. Restylane is a complete line of products, each designed with different characteristics to make them specially suited for specific problem areas and specific skin problems. This makes them ideal for a personalized approach to medical esthetic treatments. Other types of hyaluronic acid based fillers include Belotero and Juvederm.

Benefits of Restylane

Restylane is a good option for filling in age-related volume loss under the skin, especially in the cheeks and temples.

A study found Restylane also stimulates the body to produce more collagen, thus further adding to the restoration of the natural youthful support structure of the skin.

Restylane provides much more support than just its own volume; it also acts as a sponge, drawing in the body’s natural hydrating fluids. This provides additional volume support as well as the hydration that is needed to enhance the skin’s youthful beauty.

Are you a candidate?

Restylane treatments are meant for people between the ages of 21 and 65. To determine if Restylane treatments are right for you, a good place to start is by looking at the rejuvenation effects that Restylane treatments can provide:

• Increasing volume of areas of the face, such as the cheeks, temples, chin, and the backs of the hands
• Plumping up the lips (lip augmentation)
• Restore hydration to skin in treated areas
• Reducing the appearance of wrinkles, lines, and folds in the skin

Restylane treatments are not appropriate for people who are or may be pregnant or breastfeeding, are on blood-thinning medications, or who have active skin infections near the intended injection site. Some medical conditions or medications may also make otherwise suitable patients ineligible for treatment with Restylane. Your injection professional will therefore take a complete medical history during your consultation.

Which Restylane is right for you?

Restylane is a family of six products, each of which differs in chemical characteristics and composition so as to provide specific benefits for specific uses. Let’s look at each of these products:

• Restylane and Restylane-L: for mid-to-deep injection for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial folds and wrinkles, and for lip enhancement
• Restylane Silk: for lip augmentation and the correction of wrinkles and lines around the mouth
• Restylane Refyne: for mid-to-deep injection for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial folds and wrinkles, particularly the “laugh lines” around the nose and mouth
• Restylane Lyft with lidocaine: for deep injection for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial folds and wrinkles, and for volume enhancement for the cheeks and backs of the hands. This product contains the local anesthetic lidocaine for improved comfort during the procedure
• Restylane Defyne: for mid-to-deep injection for moderate to severe deep face folds, such as deep smile lines around the mouth and nose

During your initial consultation, your injection professional will discuss your treatment goals to help determine the best Restylane product for you.

How it works

Restylane products are based on the skin rejuvenating compound hyaluronic acid (HA), which is a natural structural substance found throughout our body. Because HA is well known to our bodies, it is readily accepted and stays in place for a prolonged period of time.

As we age, the proteins collagen and elastin in our skin – which give skin its youthful suppleness and elasticity – lose their connections and become disorganized and dried out. This gives skin the baggy, wrinkled, and dry appearance that we know as the changes of aging. HA stabilizes these important structures in the skin and provides them with the proper chemical environment to reconnect and regain their important functions again.

Treatment details

Restylane injections are an office procedure, and depending on the number of areas being treated, the injection process usually takes less than an hour. The injector may offer a local anesthetic, either a topical numbing cream or an injectable anesthetic such as lidocaine. The areas to be treated are cleansed, and then the Restylane gel is injected into the treatment area using an ultra-fine needle.

Recovery time

Recovery time is usually minimal, and most people can return to their normal daily routine right away following a treatment. Your injector may advise you to avoid strenuous activity, direct sun exposure, make-up, and alcohol for 24 hours after your treatment.

When should you expect results

Results vary, but you can expect to see positive effects immediately after treatment. The full effect of Restylane injections becomes apparent in the 2-3 weeks after treatment as collagen forms and natural hydration builds.

How many treatments will you need?

Depending on the severity of the treatment area and the desired esthetic goals, more than one initial treatment may be needed for optimal effect. Over time, the body will absorb the injected Restylane, and the results will fade. Additional treatments will be needed to maintain the results.

How long will your results last?

Results from the various Restylane effects generally last about 6-18 months, depending on the specific product used, the area treated, and your body’s individual characteristics.

Safety information

Most dermal fillers like Restylane are considered to be relatively safe, non-invasive cosmetic treatments, but they are not without potential risks. The most common adverse effects are:

• Swelling, redness, pain, bruising, itching, or tenderness at the injection site
• The appearance of lumps under the skin
• Impaired hand function (following hand treatments)
• Headache

Side effects are typically mild and resolve within a week, and within two weeks following lip injections. There is a risk of infection or scarring at the injection site. Although rare, there can be serious health complications if Restylane is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel. This is not a complete list of potential side effects; your injection professional will discuss side effects with you prior to treatment.

Cost of Restylane

The cost of Restylane injections is between $500 and $700 per syringe. The exact cost of treatment will depend on several factors:

• The number of areas treated
• The amount of product used
• The type of product (Refyne, Lyft, etc)
• Your geographic area
• The skill level and fee schedule of the injector

Restylane treatments are usually not covered by health insurance. However, many injectors offer financing options and flexible payment plans to make this treatment more affordable. Many also offer treatment packages so that follow-up treatments are at a reduced cost.