RESTYLANE
(newer soft tissue augmentation product)

What is Restylane?
Restylane is considered a premier wrinkle filler because it is a safe, temporary, non-animal form of hyaluronic acid gel, a naturally occurring substance that binds water to cells. Restylane is injected to fill out creases and lines. It is not to be confused with Botox® Cosmetic, which basically paralyses muscles, and they work brilliantly together as a team. The most common areas to have done are lips, nasal labial folds, smile lines and drooping corners of the mouth. Perlane is a very pure and stabilized form of hyaluronic acid.

Are there any Side Effects?
Restylane has minimal side effects. The most common is slight bruising, which is seen in about 20% of patients. The injection hurts more than collagen because collagen has anesthetic. Less common problems would include allergies, but this is very rare. Some patients experience an infection or a cold sore due to the injection of the needle. Additionally, there maybe a little swelling after the needle is injected, and resolves within a day or two.

What are the Differences between Restylane and Perlane?
Restylane is thinner and better for lips and fine lines. Perlane is thicker and good for sculpting e.g. cheek bones or deep lines such as laugh lines. Both Restylane and Perlane are the exact same molecule (hyaluronic acid) and made by Q-Med.

What is the Cost of Treatment?
The cost of treatment depends on the amount used and the specific area of the face. Costs range significantly throughout the country and major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Miami will cost a little more. A general ball park is between $500-$1,000 a shot.

Are there any Areas of the Face that do not Work Well?
Restylane is excellent for all areas of the face that have fine lines. For the very small lines that bleed lipstick on the upper lip, Restylane Fine Line is used. It is not as dense as Restylane, but works magic on fine upper lips.

Why is Restylane better than collagen?
Restylane is better than collagen because it is a smooth, clear gel and “flows” when it is injected and goes in very evenly. Most importantly, it can last six months or longer. Restylane is an excellent wrinkle filler and wrinkles can be “filled in” as needed. With collagen, you have to over correct because of the anesthetic in it -as some is absorbed, the correction decreases so it was somewhat of a guess although experience helped a great deal.

In one U.S. clinical study, Restylane outperformed a collagen-based substance by 6 to 1. Collagen can also cause allergic reactions. Because Restylane is a non-animal based gel created in the lab, there are no allergic side effects.