More About Restylane^®

Restylane^® is a dermal filler that corrects moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the lines between the nose and mouth). Results can last up to nine months before a touch-up treatment is required. Restylane is also an effective treatment for earlobe rejuvenation to plump the earlobe and restore a youthful appearance. After treatment, some temporary redness and minor swelling near the injection site may occur. Both biocompatible and biodegradable, Restylane^® has a long track record of safety, with use in the United States since 2003.

Manufacturer Galderma uses a production process described as NASHA^™ to create many of its products, including several Restylane^® injectables. This stands for Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. Early fillers used hyaluronic acid derived from rooster comb, which was effective, but required that patients undergo allergy testing. Modern fillers use non-animal hyaluronic acid, so no allergy testing is required.

The NASHA^™ process to create Restylane^® cross-links the hyaluronic acid molecules to create a gel with a firm texture, which discourages uneven distribution and helps the filler to stay more concentrated in the area where it's injected, providing a more significant lift. At the hands of an experienced and talented injector, the result will look natural and refreshed, as opposed to bloated.

There are several products in the Restylane^® injectable line, each with benefits unique to its specific formulation. Talk to Dr. Timothy Greco to learn more about the available options and discover which would be best for you.

More About Restylane Lyft^® (Formerly Perlane^®)

Like other Restylane^® products, the filler known for years as Perlane^® is comprised of biotechnologically engineered, non-immunogenic, stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA^™) gel. Since this is a naturally occurring substance found in the body, no skin test is needed. Hyaluronic acid attracts and binds to water molecules, helping to maintain volume augmentation. The larger hyaluronic acid gel particles allow for deeper facial folds, hollows, and facial atrophy to be treated more effectively.

When volume returns to the midface, the added fullness and structural support can lift surrounding tissues in the lower face, such as the nasolabial folds.

As noted above, the product is known today as Restylane Lyft^®, and it is held to the same standards and is produced with the same foundational technology as the other members of the Restylane^® injectable family.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a long chain of carbohydrates, which are molecules that make up sugars and starches. It is found throughout the body, where it serves a variety of roles. Since it holds moisture well, it is frequently found in areas in the body that require lubrication and pliancy, such as in synovial fluid, which reduces friction in certain joints. In the skin, hyaluronic acid is responsible for hydration and tissue repair.

The body replenishes hyaluronic acid, which breaks down over time, especially when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and other damaging environmental factors. As a person ages, however, the rate at which hyaluronic acid is replaced slows, leading to a gradual loss of the beneficial sugar. This leads to the skin drying out, wrinkles forming, and more significant cosmetic problems—especially when combined with a similar loss of collagen, elastin, and fat.

The hyaluronic acid used in Restylane^® and other dermal fillers is a formulation based on the hyaluronic acid found in the body.

Once injected, the hyaluronic acid found in Restylane^® and other fillers serves to restore moisture and pliancy to where it has diminished. The physical volume of the injectable also brings a healthy fullness to the area.

See Results for Yourself

Watch a CBS 3 news clips featuring Dr. Greco and see the beautiful results he was able to achieve with Perlane^® (now Restylane Lyft^®) for a woman with deep nasolabial folds!

Beyond Restylane^®

Dr. Greco offers a variety of dermal fillers beyond Restylane^® at his Philadelphia area Aesthetic Surgery Clinic. A large family of fillers, JUVÉDERM^®, includes injectables that smooth out lines on the face, VOLUMA^® to add volume to the cheeks, and VOLBELLA^® to augment lips and reduce wrinkles around the mouth.

Dr. Greco also offers Sculptra^®, which provides a gradual volumizing benefit for the face by stimulating new collagen growth for improved skin tone and ongoing aesthetic improvements.

Patients can choose to use their own fat for adding volume into areas where it has diminished. This procedure is known as structural fat grafting, and it involves using delicate liposuction to remove a small amount of fat from unwanted areas, processing the fat to prepare it for injection, then introducing it into the area where more volume is desired. The fat can be used to fill in folds and lines, as well as augment cheeks and lips.

While dermal fillers address what are known as "static wrinkles" that form due to facial aging, other injectables work to smooth out "dynamic wrinkles" that appear due to repetitive muscle movements on the forehead or next to the eyes. BOTOX^®, Dysport^®, and Xeomin^® are such injectables, each working to relax muscles and prevent them from contracting for months at a time, leaving the skin above free of dynamic lines.

For patients seeking a long-term solution to creases and volume loss, surgery is an effective option. Intended for facial contouring and addressing the sagging tissues of the face, a facelift can provide rejuvenating results—especially when paired with Restylane^® or other injectables to address finer lines. CO₂ Laser may also help to treat deep lines of the face. When properly combined under the guidance of a double board certified face, neck, and head specialist such as Dr. Greco, the treatments and procedures available can yield a natural, harmonious look of total rejuvenation.