Restylane®

What is Restylane and how does it work?
As you age, your skin changes.  One of these changes includes reduced production of a naturally hydrating substance called hyaluronic acid.  Over time, this loss of hyaluronic acid in your skin results in facial wrinkles and folds.  Restylane is made from hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring sugar that is found within various soft tissues of all mammals.  The role of hyaluronic acid in the skin is to deliver nutrients, to hydrate the skin by holding in water, and to act as a cushioning agent.  Restylane is able to provide lasting results due the ability of its molecules to retain many times their weight in water, which provides prolonged results even while the filler material is being absorbed by the body.  It is synthetically produced for use as an injectable soft tissue filler. 

What areas of the face can be treated with Restylane?
Within this practice, Restylane is used to treat the FDA approved areas where there are moderate to severe wrinkles and folds of the face in order to add volume and to smooth the face.  Additionally, within this practice, Restylane is used to treat the non-FDA approved areas of the tear troughs, cheeks, lips, and chin for the purpose of volume augmentation.  Results from Restylane injection typically last six months.

What risks are associated with Restylane treatments?
As with any medical procedure, there are associated risks.  The risks associated with Restylane include but are not limited to:

• Redness and pain / tenderness at the injection sites.
• Bruising and swelling at the injection sites.
• Bleeding at the injection sites.
• Firmness at the injection sites.
• Uneven appearance (lumps / bumps) at the injection sites.
• Visible filler material in areas where the skin is thin. 
• Itching.
• Asymmetry.
• Discoloration.
• Migration of product away from the area originally injected.
• Injection to the lips could provoke an outbreak of cold sores in patients with a history of cold sores.
• Damage to deep structures such as nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue that can be temporary or permanent in nature. 
• Amount of product agreed upon for treatment may not fully correct the facial defect.
• Infection.
• Risk is increased in patients who are undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.

You should not undergo treatment with Restylane if you have any of the following conditions:

• Severe allergies marked by a history of anaphylaxis or history or presence of multiple severe allergies.
• Patients with a history of allergies to Gram-positive bacterial proteins.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How much discomfort is associated with a Restylane treatment?
Within our practice, Restylane dermal filler is mixed with a local anesthetic called Xylocaine, which is a fast-acting numbing medication.  This mixing of the products allows the tissues to be numbed at the same time the filler is being injected.  Most clients experience only mild discomfort at the beginning of the procedure that is associated with the initial needle stick.  Once the Xylocaine numbing medication has taken effect, numbness usually lasts for 1-2 hours.