Dermal Fillers such Restylane® and Perlane® have become very popular in helping people improve facial wrinkles and folds, as well as giving volume and fullness to the skin. (Prices vary per area)
Below you will find information on both of these exciting treatments to help you decide which is right for you.
What happens as we age?
Young skin is smooth and elastic and contains a large amount of hyaluronic acid that helps the skin look healthy. As we grow older, the ability of the skin to produce hyaluronic acid decreases resulting in the skin becoming drier, thinner and less able to restore itself. As we age, the amount of collagen and hyaluronic acid decreases and the elastic elastin fibers become looser and tend to gather in formations, creating wrinkles and folds. However, age is not the only cause of wrinkles; smoking, sun bathing and pollution damage the structure of your skin, irrespective of age.
What are Restylane® and Perlane®?
The Restylane® family of products includes Restylane and Perlane. Both are cosmetic dermal fillers that replace lost volume and restore youthful contours to the skin to smooth away moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. They both consists of hyaluronic acid, which is a natural substance already present in your body. Some dermal fillers are animal-derived, however the hyaluronic acid in Restylane and Perlane is non-animal and treatment does not require an allergy test.
Restylane® and Perlane® FAQs
How do I choose between Restylane® and Perlane®?
You don’t have to. The hyaluronic acid in both products is made by the same biotechnical process. The difference is in the gel particle size. Perlane® gel particles are larger and designed for deeper injection than Restylane®. Your doctor will decide which product is right for you.
How is a Restylane® and/or Perlane® treatment performed?
During treatment, the crystal-clear gel is injected into the skin in tiny amounts with a very fine needle. The gel produces volume under the wrinkle, which is lifted up and smoothed out. When enhancing lips or facial contours, Restylane and/or Perlane adds volume and shape to the treated area.
How long will the treatment session take?
Treatment with Restylane and Perlane is a very quick and easy process. As no pre-test is needed, the treatment can be carried out immediately. A treatment generally takes 30 minutes. The time differs somewhat, depending on the correction you wish to have performed.
What are the benefits of Restylane® and/or Perlane®?
Restylane and Perlane fills in wrinkles, folds and creases in the face. In addition to volume-filling, Restylane and Perlane increases collagen production and may prevent the breakdown of existing collagen. With regular injections the effects are more pronounced and longer-lasting.
What areas can be treated with Restylane® and/or Perlane®?
Restylane can be used for smoothing out folds and wrinkles, lip enhancements and shaping facial contours. The most common areas are the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of the mouth) and the lips, although other sites can also be treated. Perlane is used more for very deep wrinkles around the nasolabial folds and other areas that need a deeper penatration. Perlane is not recommend to be used on the lips, but we recommend a consult your physician for an assessment.
Does the treatment hurt?
Most people find the injections relatively painless. They may prick a little. If you prefer, a topical anesthetic can be applied to the area being treated prior to your procedure. When enhancing the lips, a local anesthetic injection is often given.
What will I look like after a Restylane® and/or Perlane® treatment?
With Restylane and Perlane results are immediately visible. Upon treatment you can expect slight redness, swelling, tenderness or an itching sensation in the treated area. This is a normal result of the injection. The discomfort is temporary and generally disappears in a few days. After a lip treatment, the lips may become swollen and look somewhat uneven. This can persist for a few days (up to a week). If the discomfort continues, please contact your physician.
What can I expect after my treatment?
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. .
Can Restylane® and Perlane® replace surgical procedures?
No. However, Restylane and Perlane are often used in conjunction with surgery to fill out wrinkles that cannot be removed by surgery.
Are there any side effects to using Restylane® or Perlane®?
The rate of reactions to Restylane and Perlane is very low. However, after the treatment some common injection-related reactions may occur, such as swelling, redness, pain, itching, discoloration and tenderness at the injection site. These typically resolve spontaneously within a few days after injection into the skin and within a week after the injection into the lips. Other types of reactions are very rare, but about 1 in 2000 treated patients have experienced localized reactions thought to be of a hypersensitive nature. These have usually consisted of swelling at the injection site, sometimes affecting the surrounding tissues. Redness, tenderness and rarely acne-like formations have also been reported. These reactions have either started a few days after the injection or after a delay of two to four weeks, and have generally been described as mild to moderate and self-limiting with an average duration of two weeks. This text does not contain all the information known about these products. For more information please consult your practitioner. You should not use Restylane or Perlane if you have allergies to microorganisms known as gram-positive bacteria.
Can I use Restylane® and/or Perlane® if I had a laser treatment or chemical peel?
If you have recently had some other kind of facial treatment, you are recommended to wait until the treated area is totally healed and the skin has normalized before you undergo a Restylane or Perlane treatment.
How long does the effect of Restylane® and/or Perlane® last?
The Restylane® family of products are proven to deliver long-lasting results. The length of time the effect of a treatment lasts is very individual and depends on many factors, such as the structure of your skin, lifestyle, age, the degree of perfection demanded and the injection technique of the practitioner. Results show Restylane last about 6 months. Perlane at least 6 months plus, in a majority of patients.
Is Restylane® and/or Perlane® affected by cold or hot weather?
You should not expose the treated area to intense heat (e.g. in a solarium or by sunbathing) or extreme cold for the first few days after the treatment in order to avoid the risk of inflammation as the area has been disturbed. However, once Restylane and Perlane has integrated into the body, it will adjust to your normal body temperature.
How will my skin look without follow-up treatments?
The correction will gradually disappear until your skin looks like it did before Restylane or Perlane treatment. Follow-up injections will help you maintain your correction.
What are the contents of Restylane® and Perlane®?
Restylane and Perlane consists of 20 mg/ml of stabilized hyaluronic acid and physiological sodium chloride solution with a pH of 7. All Restylane® products are clear, transparent and viscous gels. The only difference between the products is the size of the gel particles. In contrast to other similar products, the hyaluronic acid in Restylane® is not produced from animals. This means that there is no risk of disease being transmitted or allergic reactions being elicited if you are sensitive to common foods, such as beef, chicken and eggs.
What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that is found throughout your body. It gives volume to the skin, lubricates the joints and gives the eyes their shape. The hylaluronic acid in Restylane and Perlane is stabilized for long duration and is not of animal or human origin.
How was Restylane® developed?
After many years of research, Dr Bengt Ågerup and the company Q-Med in Uppsala, Sweden, succeeded in developing a way of using a Non-Animal, Stabilized, Hyaluronic Acid to replace the loss of volume in the skin. The first application, Restylane®, was launched in 1996. Before this, only collagen made from cowhide and hyaluronic acid made from rooster combs had been available.
Restylane® Rewards
What is Restylane® Rewards?
The Restylane® Rewards program qualifies you for rewards for treatment, and makes attaining your aesthetic goals more affordable then ever. At your first visit make sure you get your redemption form, original receipt, and the end flaps from the boxes used during your treatment*. You also need to register at www.RestylaneUSA.com. Each time you get a treatment make sure you get your end flaps and original receipt* (Restylane® Rewards does not accept credit card receipts as proof of treatment). For more information on the Restylane® Rewards program you can visit www.RestylaneUSA.com. *You are responsible for asking for this information. *