Restylane is part of a group of products called cosmetic dermal fillers. Restylane is made from hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the skin. It provides fullness and volume to the skin. As we age the levels of hyaluronic acid in our skin decreases causing skin to sag and wrinkle. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane is modified, using biotechnology techniques, to last longer in the body compared to the body’s natural hyaluronic acid.
The way that the hyaluronic acid molecules in Restylane are modified makes these molecules very attractive to water molecules. Therefore, since Restylane binds strongly to water molecules, these water molecules help to add to the fullness and volume that Restylane creates under the skin. This also helps to create more natural-looking results.
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Restylane is a temporary, injectable filler that is injected into the skin for facial contouring, lip augmentation and wrinkle correction.
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The active ingredient in Restylane is non-animal, stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA).
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Restylane has been available in Europe since 1996, and in Canada since 1998. It is used in more than 60 countries to correct a variety of wrinkles, lines, and contour defects and to enhance the lips. It was approved in the US in December 2003, for use in mid-to-deep dermal implantation for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the nasolabial folds.
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Restylane can be used for smoothing out folds and wrinkles, lip enhancements and shaping facial contours. Commonly treated areas are the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of the mouth), the glabellar lines (between the eyebrows), the droopy mouth corners, and thinning lips, although other sites can also be treated.
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Benefits of Restylane include:
- having a very low allergic potential so that skin tests are unnecessary
- having a very natural look and feel
- lasting significantly longer than any of the collagens
- being moldable and very easy to work with.
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The types of Restylane products available include:
- Restylane
- Restylane Touch
- Restylane Lipp
- Restylane Vital
- Perlane
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Restylane injections can be uncomfortable. Most people find the Restylane procedure relatively painless. Topical anaesthetic creams or nerve blocks are commonly used to make the Restylane injections procedure more comfortable. Most people do not require an anesthetic for filling in of wrinkles with Restylane injections. The level of discomfort from Restylane injections depends on the areas being treated. Treatments around the lips and nose tend to cause the most discomfort.
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Before the Restylane injection procedure begins, some clinics and many patients prefer to numb the face with a topical anaesthetic cream. If the procedure is for lip augmentation, anaesthetic injections can be used.
During the Restylane procedure, the Restylane gel is applied under the skin in tiny amounts using a very fine needle. The procedure can be mildly uncomfortable.
The Restylane treatment procedure can take up to an hour to complete. However, most Restylane treatments only take 5 to 10 minutes.
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Depending on how many areas you have treated, the actual Restylane injections may take 5 to 30 minutes.
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The results of Restylane injections can be seen immediately with optimum results appearing within a few hours after treatment to a couple of days later.
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Immediately after the treatment, you can expect slight redness, swelling, tenderness or an itching sensation in the treated area. This is quite normal. This discomfort generally disappears in a day or two.
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You can expect to see a dramatic reduction in wrinkles and lines. Your overall facial appearance will remain the same. In other words, you will be able to recognize yourself. You will simply notice a marked improvement in the wrinkles or lines of your face. Or in the case of lip augmentation you will notice a marked improvement in the look of your lips.
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Yes, Restylane injections are very safe. Restylane is FDA-approved. Restylane has been used in millions of people in over 60 countries since 1996. The safety record of Restylane is very good.
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The incidence of reactions/side effects is quite low.
Restylane side effects include:
- redness
- swelling
- pain
- tenderness
- bruising
- itching
- discoloration
Restylane is very safe and these effects usually resolve in one or two days. In some people, the effects of redness, swelling, and tenderness can last for several weeks.
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The beneficial results typically last about 6 months. Several factors can effect how long Restylane treatments results are sustained including the structure of your skin, lifestyle, age, the degree of perfection demanded and the injection technique used. On average, Restylane lasts twice as long as collagen based fillers.
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No allergy test is required before receiving Restylane injections.
The following list of medications and supplements are known to increase the risk of bleeding and/or bruising during procedures such as Restylane injections. You should stop taking these medications/supplements at least 3 weeks prior to your scheduled procedure.
- Advil
- Aleve
- Diclofenac
- Diflunisal
- Empirin
- Etodolac
- Excedrin
- Fenoprofen
- Fiorinal
- Flurbiprofen
- Ibuprofen
- Ketoprofen
- Ketorolac
- Motrin
- Naproxen
- Percodan
- Robaxisal
- Soma compound
- Sulindac
- Tolmetin
- Indomethacin
- Vitamin E (less than 100 IU/day is OK)
- Asian Ginseng
- Bromelain
- Cayenne fruit
- Chineese skullcap root
- Dan Shen root
- Feverfew
- Garlic (dietary source is OK)
- Ginger rhizome
- Ginko biloba
- Horse chestnut bark
- Papain
- Sweet clover plant
- Sweet scented bedstraw plant
- Sweet vernal grass
- Tonka been seeds
- Vanilla leaf leaves
- Woodruff plant
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During the first 48 hours after your treatment, do not massage or rub the treated area. If you have had a lip enhancement, avoid puckering your lips for the first two days after the treatment. Until the initial swelling and redness have resolved, do not expose the treated area to intense heat (e.g. in a solarium or by sunbathing) or extreme cold.
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Restylane is non-animal, stabilized hyaluronic acid. It is created through special biotechnology procedures. Collagen is derived directly from humans, cows (bovine) or pigs (porcine). Since Restylane is non-animal based there is no need to perform an allergy test before using Restylane. With collagen-based fillers allergic reactions are possible in 3 to 4% of people treated. Restylane also last approximately twice as long as collagen-based fillers.
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NASHA stands for non-animal, stabilized hyaluronic acid.
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Restylane is injected into the skin to decrease lines or add fullness and volume. Botox is injected into the muscles of the face to decrease wrinkles caused by muscle contractions. Botox relaxes the muscle which is causing the wrinkles. Therefore, Botox and Restylane are used to treat different types of wrinkles. In general, Botox is used to treat lines on the upper half of the face and Restylane is used to treat lines on the lower half of the face. Both Restylane and Botox are sometimes used simultaneously such as between the eyebrows, since decreasing muscle contraction with Botox will help the Restylane to last longer.
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Most people can return to work immediately after Restylane treatment of fine lines and wrinkles. If you have Restylane injections in your lips, swelling usually lasts for several days and you may want to take some time off of work.
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Advantages:
- no allergy testing required
- non-animal source
- lasts twice as long as collagen
- proven safety record - more than a million injections in 60 countries since 1996
- temporary, but long lasting
- biodegradable - breaks down into water and carbon dioxide
Disadvantages:
- temporary, so repeated treatments needed every 4 to 12 months
- few doctors in the US experienced with Restylane (growing all the time though)
- does not contain anesthetic
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Our Restylane cost, at Medical Device source is $____. Your physicians office may charge you significantly more. Ask your doctor’s office about purchasing Restylane from Medical Device Source in order to greatly reduce your Restylane cost.
We sell only genuine Restylane products from Europe that are manufactured by Q-Med AB of Uppsala, Sweden. These products DO NOT originate from Medicis Aesthetics Corp. and ARE NOT authorized by Medicis Aesthetics Corp., the United States and Canadian distributor of Restylane products.
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