Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK

Fillers

What are fillers / Restylane®?
Restylane is a range of products for facial aesthetic treatments. They are designed to effectively reduce the appearance of unwanted wrinkles, contour and create volume, and to revitalise the skin. Restylane is a gel based on stabilised hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that naturally exists in your body. The gel is injected into the skin.

What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that exists naturally in almost all living organisms. It binds water and can act as a lubricant and shock absorber in movable parts of the body such as joints. It is also important for the transport of nutrients and in regulating water balance in skin.

What are the benefits of Restylane®?
A treatment with Restylane® provides an easy way to enhance your look. The result of a single treatment can be seen instantly and lasts around one year. With Restylane® you will achieve a natural looking result that does not affect facial expression. Remember your face changes over time, Restylane® allows you to control your look subtly as you age.
Restylane® is the most scientifically documented hyaluronic acid based dermal filler in the world with comprehensive studies that support its safety and efficacy. Restylane® has been used in over 10 million treatments worldwide during the last 15 years.


What areas can be treated?
Restylane® products can be used to smooth away facial lines and wrinkles, create fuller lips and shape facial contours, such as cheeks and chin, and revitalise the skin.
The most common areas treated are:
Nose to mouth lines (the nasolabial folds)
Between the eyebrows (the glabella lines)
Lips (adding volume and shape)
Cheeks and chin (shaping and contouring)

How does Restylane® work?
By boosting the skin’s supply of hyaluronic acid, Restylane® revitalises and adds volume to the skin, instantly diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and giving a natural softer look. Restylane® is a soft injectable gel consisting of stabilized, non-animal hyaluronic acid. The gel is tissue-friendly and closely resembles the hyaluronic acid that exists naturally in the body. It is long-lasting, but not permanent.

What does Restylane® treatment involve?
Before
Restylane® is injected into the skin in small amounts using a very fine needle. The gel provides natural volume to smooth away the appearance of lines and wrinkles, enhance facial shape, or create fuller lips. Restylane® Vital products improve the elasticity and texture of skin, restoring and maintaining the skins hydrobalance.
The treatment is quick, typically taking about 15-30 minutes. Treatment with Restylane® does not affect facial expression and the benefits can normally be seen instantly.
To ensure an optimal and long lasting result, a top-up treatment is recommended 6-12 months after your initial Restylane® treatment. After a treatment some reactions might occur. These include slight redness, swelling, itching, bruising, pain and tenderness. The reactions are generally mild to moderate and usually disappear within one or two days, but for some treatments they may last longer.

How long does a Restylane® treatment last?
One of the great advantages of Restylane® is that the effects are long lasting but not permanent. Duration depends on many factors, such as the individual’s skin type, skin condition, lifestyle and age. After the initial treatment, follow-up sessions are normally recommended around every 6 to 12 months depending on the individual and the treatment.

Does Restylane® treatment need pain relief?
Generally, pain relief is not necessary when injecting into the skin to correct lines and wrinkles.
Some people may experience the treatment as a mild discomfort. A local anesthetic cream can be applied to the area for a more comfortable treatment experience.
Restylane® and Restylane® Perlane are also available with the local anesthetic lignocaine included for a more comfortable treatment experience.

Are there any risks with Restylane®?
More than 10 million treatments have been performed since the launch of Restylane® in 1996. Product related reactions are rare. There are some injection related reactions which may occur after any injection; they typically resolve spontaneously a few days after injection to the skin and within two weeks after injection with Restylane® SubQ. These reactions include redness, swelling, pain, itching, bruising or tenderness at the injection site.

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