The trade name for a specific formula containing non-animal sourced hyaluronic acid, Restylane was most commonly used for augmenting the lips (volume and contouring) and was the first filler of hyaluronic acid approved in the United States for injecting cosmetically into facial tissues of the sub dermis.
Injected under lines of aging and wrinkles in the face like the melomental folds, nasolabial folds, “crow’s feet” and forehead wrinkles, Restylane may also be used for filling aging-related facial hollows and “orbital troughs” (under and around the eyes). The recovery time for this process is fast – of 2 to 3 days. However, since it is not permanent; reapplication is recommended approximately every six months.
In August 2007, Dutch cosmetic doctor Tom van Eijk, came up with a new technique that aims to bring back the elasticity of the dermis rather than filling beneath the wrinkles.
Hyaluronic acid used to make Restylane is a natural substance that lets the moisture stay inside the skin and thereby wrinkles are reduced. And since 1996, Restylane has been used as an alternative of a natural type to Botox in the treatment of loose skin and wrinkles.
How Restylane Works?
The outer, middle and deep layers are the three main layers of the skin and several substances are present inside the dermis, or the layer in the middle, that makes water molecules stick together. These keep skin healthy and firm. Hyaluronic acid is one among these substances. Some of the skins moisture (i.e. from the dermis) gets lost as people grow older and therefore the skin cannot keep moisture as easily. Thus wrinkles are formed more easily in the skin. Injecting hyaluronic acid into the dermis, Restylane works to reduce folds and wrinkles in the skin.
Treatment
Injecting small amounts of Restylane into the middle layer of your skin, the doctor gently massages the skin. This helps smoothen out the gel which almost immediately joins to the tissue of the dermis and begins to bind the water molecules. This makes the lines soft and wrinkles are smoothed out.
Lasting 30 minutes or lesser usually for the process, each treatment usually lasts for six months or more and a touch-up is recommended twice annually approximately. The series of the first three treatments take place in the first few weeks for the rejuvenation and hydration of general skin are followed by touch-ups for six months.
Options
Restylane can treat nasolabial folds (between the nose and the lips), cheeks, lips, back of the hands, chin, or glabellar lines (in the middle of the eyebrows).
Risks and Side Effects
There may be slight discomfort during treatment; however, an anesthetic used locally can help. Slight pain, itching or bruising where the injection is administered may be experienced after the treatment and lips may especially have a tendency at swelling and may appear slightly uneven for many days after treatment.
Side effects may remain for up to two weeks but in very rare cases – they usually disappear within a few days. Skin that has been diseased or inflamed is not suitable for using Restylane. Also women who are pregnant or happen to be nursing should not test Restylane. Restylane is not made of any ingredients that are derived from animals unlike products that are similar and therefore an allergy test is not necessary.