Volume loss is one of the key components of facial aging especially in certain areas like the periorbital and central face about the mouth. This loss of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid creates lines, folds, wrinkles and even hollowing in areas like the cheeks, tear-troughs and temporal hollows. While facelifts and other skin tightening technology can achieve dramatic results, fillers are usually needed to address volume loss in the face and are often used in other areas of the body as well.
Restylane® products are a family of injectable, hyaluronic acid based fillers, offered by Galderma Laboratories, a division of Nestle Skin Health. Hyaluronic acid based fillers are designed to replace and supplement the body’s own hyaluronic acid, a natural component of skin. The family of products includes Restylane®, Restylane-L®, Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane® Silk, Restylane® Refyne and Restylane® Defyne. Like the Juvederm® family, each product is slightly different and offers unique advantages. Some of the products have different FDA approved indications and some of the products are more commonly used in certain applications by the plastic surgical community. The newest members of the family, Restylane® Refyne and Restylane® Defyne have the advantage of flexibility to provide a natural result in areas with associated facial motion.
What are the Aesthetic Goals of Fillers like the Restylane® Family at Total Aesthetics™?
Today, there are many people injecting dermal fillers and neurotoxins – the majority of these individuals are not plastic surgeons. As part of our rigorous and lengthy training, plastic surgeons study the aesthetics of the face and body and because we’re surgeons, we seen the anatomy and the affects of the aging process firsthand on a daily basis.
At Total Aesthetics™ our goal is always a subtle, natural-appearing result. Dr. O’Connell likes to say that we’re in the self-esteem business and overdone procedures, especially fillers, don’t match our artistic sensibility. It’s easy to overdo things with fillers and that’s why we follow a conservative, “less-is-more” approach.
There’s far more to facial aesthetics than relaxers and fillers. At Total Aesthetics™ we’ve got the whole package from the latest medical skin care, laser-based treatments like Halo™, radiofrequency treatments and ultimately plastic surgery if needed. We’re not limited with what we can offer our patients – and we’re very proud of that because that’s one thing that sets us apart.
The Restylane® portfolio of fillers includes the following:
- Restylane® – The original product of the family with an FDA approval for mid-to-deep injection into facial tissues for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds as well as for injection into the lips in patients over age 21.
- Restylane-L® – This product has the same FDA indications as Restylane® and the “L” designation signifies that the product contains lidocaine. At Total Aesthetics™ Restylane® is a go-to product for filling of tear-troughs and other critical areas where a minimization of post-injection swelling is desired.
- Restylane® Silk – This product is FDA approved for lip augmentation and for the correction of perioral wrinkles in patients over age 21. Restylane® Silk was approved by the FDA in 2014 and it contains smaller, smoother particles of hyaluronic acid. Even though it does not contain the designation “L”, the product contains lidocaine to ease the discomfort associated with injection. Because it’s a thinner gel, Restylane® Silk is our preferred filler for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth that tend to be more superficial than wrinkles elsewhere in the face. The product is also a good choice to improve thinning and/or asymmetrical lips by restoring fullness and volume. One study showed lip improvement past 6 months for 76% of the patients in the study.
- Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine – This product, formerly called Perlane, is an injectable hyaluronic acid gel with FDA indications for deep implantation into the facial tissue for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds (such as nasolabial folds) and for cheek augmentation as well as for correction of age-related midface contour deficiencies in patients over age 21. Restylane® Lyft is also indicated for injection into the dorsal hand to correct volume deficit in patients over age 21. Because Lyft contains larger particles, it’s a good choice for deeper, more intense wrinkles and for facial contouring.
- Restylane® Defyne – This filler is indicated for mid-to-deep injection into facial tissues for correction of moderate to deep facial wrinkles and folds in patients over age 21. Like Refyne, this product features Galderma’s XpresHAn technology that provides flexibility and smoothness with facial motion. Refyne is very flexible with soft support and Defyne is slightly less flexible with more firm soft tissue support along with a high lifting capacity. Defyne contains lidocaine to ease discomfort associated with injection.
- Restylane® Refyne – This new lidocaine containing filler from Galderma features their proprietary XpresHAn technology, that provides natural-looking results with increased flexibility associated with facial motion. Because of this concept of support with flexibility, Refyne and Defyne are excellent choices for areas around the mouth and below the eyes where there is significant motion. This hyaluronic acid based filler is approved for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissues for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds in patients over age 21.
Lip Augmentation with Restylane® Silk
Many patients are troubled by those fine lines and wrinkles that occur with aging and volume loss about the mouth – even in those who have never smoked cigarettes. While the cause of these lines is multifactorial, Restylane® Silk is an excellent choice to diminish these lines and wrinkles and it can be combined with other treatments such as BOTOX® Cosmetic and laser treatments. You’ll see the effect immediately following treatment and most patients experience only mild swelling for a day or so. To ease the discomfort associated with injection we commonly use either local anesthetic blocks or vibrational analgesia and ProNox™ is available for especially anxious patients.
Why your Restylane Experience will be different at Total Aesthetics™
- At Total Aesthetics™ you’ll never have to wonder about the skill level of the person performing your filler injections. While many doctors and ancillary providers like “nurse injectors” have access to filler products, Dr. O’Connell is a master injector with over 30 years experience in aesthetics and plastic surgery – he’s literally been injecting filler since the 1980’s.
- We only use legitimate, US FDA approved products and we buy them exclusively directly from the manufacturer. No foreign, illegally re-imported or “parallel imported” products are ever used and we’ll even show you the packaging and provide you with lot numbers.
- When it comes to fillers and relaxers, one size doesn’t fit all. We’ll review your facial anatomy and how it has been affected by the aging process and then formulate a customized plan to help you navigate through the many available filler choices to optimize your results.
- At Total Aesthetics™ safety and comfort are our highest priorities. Because we’re a nationally accredited surgical facility we can make your filler experience more comfortable with local anesthetic blocks and with ProNox™ -we’re also getting great results with vibrational analgesia.
- With fillers, it’s easy to over-do things. At Total Aesthetics™ it’s all about natural results.
Results
Two month result following tear-trough filling with Restylane-L.
Tear-trough filling with Restylane-L. Result at five weeks post treatment.
Tear-trough filling with Restylane-L.
Treatment of temporal hollowing with Restylane-L.