Restylane® Family of Fillers
The job of a dermal filler is exactly as it sounds — to fill in an area of decreased volume, a wrinkle, or a crease. Fillers are injected and they simply provide volume under the skin, pushing up the depression. This is completely different than neuromodulators such as Botox. They erase wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing the muscle that contracts under the skin and creates the wrinkle on the skin above.
The original dermal filler is Restylane®, which was approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. in 2006. Restylane®, along with Juvederm®, are the world’s most popular dermal fillers. Dr. Beaty offers both fillers and their line extensions at his practice.
What is Restylane®?
When the various dermal fillers are categorized, they are broken into either “natural” or “synthetic” distinctions. Restylane® is a natural filler because it is made primarily from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the human body whose job is to hydrate, plump, and firm the skin. When Restylane® is injected beneath a crease, such as a nasolabial fold, the hyaluronic acid binds with nearby water molecules, adding volume and plumping the skin. This erases or substantially decreases the wrinkle.
Who is a good candidate for Restylane Treatments?
The question of whether you’re a candidate for a dermal filler, such as Restylane® or Juvederm®, or a neuromodulator, such as Botox, is the kind of wrinkles you want to target. If your wrinkles and lines occur on the upper third of your face, they are likely due to muscle contractions under the skin when you make expressions such as frowning, showing surprise, or squinting. These are known as dynamic wrinkles. Over time, repeated muscle contractions begin to form wrinkles on the skin above them. These are crow’s feet, the 11s between your eyebrows, and forehead lines. Dermal fillers have no effect on dynamic wrinkles.
However, if your wrinkles and creases are on display at all times — things like laugh lines, barcode lines around your lips, parentheses lines, and areas of volume loss such as the cheeks — then Restylane and other dermal fillers are the answer.
This type of wrinkle is known as a static wrinkle. Static wrinkles are the result of sun damage, declining collagen production, environmental factors, and personal habits such as smoking. Botox has no effect on static wrinkles; they are conquered by dermal fillers.
What Restylane Treatments are offered at Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery?
Here are Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, we offer the full family of Restylane Fillers. This includes Restylane, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, and Restylane Defyne, all of which offer their own treatment benefits. We also offer Restylane for hand rejuvenation, for patients who are looking to restore volume and youth to their hands.
What are the various Restylane Products and where are they used?
Originally, Restylane® was a single filler. Over the years, an entire family of Restylane® fillers has been developed, each targeted to a specific area of the face. At Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, we offer the entire Restylane® line. Each filler is intended for a different area of the face. Here are the descriptions of each Restylane® product, what types of wrinkles they target, and how long you can expect them to last.
- Restylane®: This was the flagship product, the first dermal filler. It remains very popular around the world. It targets marionette lines, nasolabial folds, and other wrinkles by adding volume beneath the wrinkle or crease and pushing the surface skin upward. Its results last from 6-9 months.
- Restylane® Silk: Restylane® Silk is FDA approved specifically for the lips. It is used for subtle lip enhancement and for the correction of vertical lip lines. It provides results for around six months.
- Restylane® Lyft: Restylane® Lyft adds volume to the cheeks and corrects smile lines. Lyft also can be used to replace volume loss on the hands (see section below). Results last from one year to 18 months.
- Restylane® Refyne: Restylane® Refyne was approved by the FDA in December 2016. This addition to the Restylane® line (along with Defyne, see below) is used to correct smile (marionette) lines and nasolabial folds. Refyne is specifically formulated to treat mild to moderate lines and wrinkles. Galderma has cross-linked the gel in Restylane® Refyne and Defyne to help support the patient’s natural expressions — for real-life results that help maintain natural movement when smiling, frowning, or otherwise moving your mouth.
- Restylane® Defyne: Approved along with Refyne, Defyne also specifically targets nasolabial folds and marionette lines. The difference is that Defyne is designed for use on moderate to severe creases and lines. Both Refyne and Defyne provide results that last up to one year.
- Restylane Kysse was approved in 2020 and is the first lip filler designed with XpresHAn Technology™ for flexible movement and natural-looking volume proven to last for up to 1 year.
Can Restylane be used for Hand Rejuvenation?
In May 2018, Restylane Lyft became the first dermal filler to receive FDA approval for use on the hands. It was approved to treat age-related volume loss on the back of the hands.
The hands are often overlooked as a marker of aging, but fat volume loss, declining collagen production, thinning skin, and overall sun damage can make your tendons, veins, and the metacarpal bones stick out. This can make your hands look older than anywhere else on your body, leaving them skeletal and bony.
Dermal fillers have been used “off label” on the hands for years, but the FDA approval of Lyft for the hands is a big step forward. Dr. Beaty injects Lyft underneath the skin, but above the connective tissue that covers the tendons, bones, vessels, and nerves. Patients notice instant volume improvement in their hands, and these improvements tend to last for about six months.
Do I need multiple treatments with Restylane?
Restylane (as well as all other dermal fillers and neuromodulators) are delivered in a one or two visits. When the fillers eventually break down and are absorbed, you will need another session to maintain your results, but that won’t be for at least 6 months, all the way up to 18 months.
What are the side effects of Restylane Treatments?
Because Restylane® is made primarily with hyaluronic acid (which occurs naturally in the human body), allergic reactions are almost unheard of. The common side effects with all dermal fillers are swelling, redness, pain, bruising, tenderness, and itching at the injection sites after your session. Some patients have been known to develop headaches for the first day or two, but this is rare. These side effects are typically mild, but may last for up to a week when treating smile and marionette lines. On the lips, they may last 10-14 days.
Occasionally, lumps will form at the injection sites. This is rare, but if it happens they can be quickly resolved by an injection of hyaluronidase. This is an enzyme that instantly degrades the hyaluronic acid, eliminating the lump.
What’s most important with the use of dermal fillers or Botox® is the experience of the injector. Dr. Beaty and his team have extensive training with all of these injectables, so you can be sure you’ll get the results you’re seeking.
There isn’t any downtime with any Restylane treatment® filler.
Our providers specialize in non-surgical procedures, facial plastic surgery options and more.
If you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us to speak with one of our experts.
