RESTYLANE

WHAT IS RESTYLANE?

Restylane® is an injectable filler that helps provide filling or plumping within the foundational layers of our skin known as dermis which makes up 80 to 90 percent of the skin’s thickness. Why is that necessary? With each decade of life lived, the foundational layers of our skin lose approximately six percent of their thickness. As age, sun exposure, genetics and lifestyle choices slow down the skin’s ability to renew itself, we begin to see and feel our skin’s thickness diminish. This loss initially becomes obvious in the areas around the eyes, the mouth and the hands, but its effects are ongoing in other areas as well. As the skin thins with age, wrinkling and the formation of facial lines are not far behind.

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HOW DOES RESTYLANE WORK?

Restylane® is one of the newer products made up of hyaluronic acid, which is found in our dermis naturally. As a hyaluronic acid, it is ubiquitous throughout our skin and is considered a part of what is known as ground substances that are responsible for our skin’s plumpness and youthfulness. This and other substances known as glycoaminoglycans and proteoglycans can imbibe and attract up to 1000-10,000 times their molecular weight in water. Since 60 percent of our body is water in some form or another, molecules that can attract and hold water within our skin are not only necessary but also desirable. Although Dr. English offers several fillers in his office in Little Rock, Restylane® is one of the more popular ones because of its ease of use, its safety record and its longevity of results as measured in several months.

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The most common areas of interest among our Restylane® patients, include the face, especially around the mouth areas, although it can be injected in other areas as well. It is FDA approved for augmentation of the lips, which provides a fullness that is lost with age. Thin lips can make one look severe or harsh. With softer, fuller lips, the patient notices a more pleasant and youthful appearance. Since its injection requires a needle placed through the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) and into the middle of the dermis (the inner layer of skin), a topical numbing agent can be applied to the skin’s surface to lessen the discomfort of the injection. If anxiety is an issue, our highly trained staff can administer nitrous oxide, which is known as laughing gas, to address your concerns. The treatment process is brief and so is the recovery time.

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RESTYLANE DEFYNE

Dermal fillers are very effective at eliminating smile lines; however, many also provide patients with a “frozen” appearance. For those who wish to appear more like themselves, Restylane® Defyne might be a perfect option. This injectable treatment effectively fills in moderate-to-deep laugh lines, yet allows for normal movement of the face and lips. The result is that your wrinkles just fade away, yet no one will be able to tell you have had a procedure done.

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RESTYLANE REFYNE

As with other fillers in the Restylane® family, this product contains hyaluronic acid to firm and plump the skin. But what is different about Restylane® Refyne is the fact that it is also created with XpresHAn Technology™ to provide greater structural support for your cheeks. You can expect to enjoy your very natural-looking results for up to one year.

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RESTYLANE LIFT

What is Restylane® Lift and how does it differ from other dermal fillers?

Restylane® Lift is a hyaluronic acid, as is Restylane®, both of which are capable of the same hydrophilic properties of our own native dermal glycoaminoglycans and proteoglycans that attract and hold a significant amount of water within the superficial and deep layers of our skin. However, since the molecular weight and particle size of Restylane® Lift is larger, it allow us to place it deeper within the confines of the reticular dermis (lower layer of the skin) and adjoining subcutaneous layers (layers just under the skin) without the rapid degradation and/or loss of results as seen when the smaller hyaluronic products are placed in these areas.

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WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

When a patient has a rather deep fold or line on their face, it is extremely important that we layer products in the depth of the crease to obtain a better and longer lasting result that is more cost effective over time. Since the particle size of Restylane® Lift is much larger than Restylane® (Restylane® Lift has 10,000 particles per milliliter as opposed to Restylane® that has 100,000 particles per milliliter), the Restylane® Lift can be used as a baseline filler to achieve a much more natural look and feel in the depth of your line or wrinkle.

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Restylane® Lift is now FDA approved for midface/cheek augmentation. It helps give that youthful fullness in areas previously not injected.  As it fills the cheek deficit, it also lifts the skin around marionette lines.