In the past, dermal fillers comprised bovine collagen but the results only lasted a few short months. However, a great deal of research has gone into these injectables and the results of treatments now last much longer. Restylane is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler that provides results that can last over 18 months. Today, our experts at ALC Med Spa in Gurnee, IL are discussing where this incredibly versatile filler can be used.
Where Is Restylane Typically Used?
Like other hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, this family of products can be administered into areas of the face experiencing moderate-to-severe volume loss. However, it has recently become FDA-approved to restore volume to the hands, as well. Extremely fine needles are used to administer the hyaluronic acid, sometimes known as HA.
Each product in this HA-based family is designed with a specific treatment area in mind. This means that one product will be particularly good at treating static areas, like the chin; others will be particularly good at treating volume loss in more dynamic areas, like the lips. Thinner formulas are injected into the superficial layers of the skin. Thicker formulas are administered into the foundational layers of your skin.
Restylane
Restylane can correct just about any facial cosmetic concern you have. The original formula comprises a fairly thick gel. This gel is injected deeply into the skin. This results in precise, long-lasting enhancements to your beauty. Usually, the original formula is used to augment the lips and lift sagging skin in the area.
However, it can also be used to treat nasolabial folds. Since the gel administered is thicker than other gels, the results of the treatment last far longer than the results of thinner gels. You can expect the final results of this treatment to last for approximately 18 months.
Lyft
Lyft is the first HA-based dermal filler to be FDA-approved for hand restoration. This formula was originally intended to restore volume to the cheeks and the skin around the cheeks. The injections restore volume to areas experiencing severe collagen loss while hydrating the skin. When used to restore volume to the hands, the results of the filler can last around six months.
Silk
Silk is a thin, smooth gel. It was designed to augment the lips. Like Lyft was the first filler to restore the hands, Silk was the first dermal filler FDA-approved to augment the lips. Since this thin, smooth gel is soft, it spreads easily. This makes it perfect for plumping up your pout while allowing you to emote naturally. Extensive research has shown that the average person can expect their results to last for half of a year.
Defyne and Refyne
Both Defyne and Refyne utilize Restylane’s proprietary XpresHAn technology. This incredible technology changes hyaluronic acid molecules in a manner such that a more stable gel is created. These products combine the benefits of thick and thin gels, resulting in a spreadable, extremely durable formula.
Its spreadability and longevity make it well-suited for extremely dynamic areas, like the mouth. According to the results of extensive research, Refyne and Defyne can provide results that last around a year.
How Quickly Does Restylane Work?
This durable dermal filler starts working as soon as it is injected. Depending on the consistency of the injectable, it may spread far from the injection site, smoothing away long lines and wrinkles instantly. However, it may also not spread until the product is massaged gently into other sites. You will also enjoy a noticeable improvement in localized elasticity as soon as your treatment is over. Finally, your skin will look plumper and more hydrated than it has in years.
What You Need to Know About Hyaluronic Acid
HA is a polysaccharide that your body produces naturally. Unfortunately, the results of the aging process decrease your skin’s production of this very important substance. This leads to thinning, sagging skin.
It can even get so bad that you find keeping your skin hydrated nearly impossible and you start to notice hollows around your cheeks, temples, and eyes. If you moisturize twice daily and still can’t keep your skin hydrated, hyaluronic acid may be just what you need. It can retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
What You Need to Know About XpresHAn Technology
This family of products provides results that are so durable thanks to proprietary XpresHAn technology. This technology modifies the hyaluronic acid used in each formula.
The result of this patented modification is lower- and higher-weight hyaluronic acid molecules are linked, forming a gel that is stronger and more durable than any other HA-based dermal filler. This modified hyaluronic acid is so strong that it can stand up to extremely dynamic muscles, like the mouth.
What Makes This Family of Products Special
The Long-Term Benefits
Studies have shown that using HA-based products regularly will improve the efficiency of your skin’s collagen production system. This results in improved hydration and nutrition. After several sessions, your skin starts to improve its appearance on its own.
Additionally, you don’t have to come in for these treatments as often as you would for other HA-based dermal fillers; the patented XpresHAn technology is more durable than any alternative HA-based filler.
The Biocompatibility
Each product is extremely biocompatible because hyaluronic acid is produced by the skin. Since the hyaluronic acid molecules used to make up this product don’t come from animals, you don’t have to worry about a histamine response. However, we will discuss your known allergies during your initial consultation to ensure you are not allergic to any of the other ingredients in the formula.
The Convenience
You don’t have to undergo an inpatient procedure to restore your youthful countenance. You also don’t have to commit to weeks of downtime and intensive recovery. These injections are completed in under an hour in our comfortable office with virtually no downtime.
You are free to return to whatever you had scheduled as soon as your injections are complete. Furthermore, thanks to the resilience of the gels, you’ll need fewer maintenance sessions to maintain your ideal results, saving you money and time.
The Noninvasiveness
Even though this anti-aging solution is injected into the superficial or subdermal layers of the skin, the treatment isn’t invasive at all. The needles we use are much finer than any other needle used to administer a hyaluronic acid-based gel. Since the needles we use are so small, we can pinpoint strategic injection locations more accurately.
Furthermore, this family of products is the perfect solution for someone who doesn’t want to undergo a number of invasive procedures to restore his or her youthful countenance. While we may have to receive different formulas in your hands and different parts of your face, you don’t have to sit through a facelift, cheek augmentation, and brow lift.
The Durability of the Formulas
The importance of hyaluronic acid to the health of your skin cannot be understated. When injected into strategic locations, collagen in and around the treatment area starts to be produced at an increased rate. Furthermore, nutrient transfer to the treatment area is encouraged.
Besides erasing wrinkles and fine lines, this family of products encourages your skin to increase its own elasticity and resilience naturally. You get all of the aforementioned benefits from this family of products. Even better, the patented manufacturing process results in HA that stays in your skin for longer. Therefore, your skin produces extra collagen for longer.
The Clinically Proven Results
Third-party clinical trials have proven that these anti-aging treatments are safe, convenient, and extremely effective. The top researchers in the country have scrutinized each formula carefully; every year they top the list of HA-based fillers due to their durable benefits and impressive safety profile. Remember, research suggests that using HA-based dermal fillers regularly improves skin health drastically.
FAQs Answered
Who Is Considered a Good Candidate for Restylane Treatment?
You may be considered a good candidate for this treatment if you are at least 22 years old. Most of our clients are over the age of 30 but we understand that significant weight loss, medical conditions, and lifestyle choices can result in premature skin aging.
How Many Restylane Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
You will start to notice the results of the treatment immediately after the first session. However, you may need two treatment sessions to achieve your ideal results if your wrinkles and folds are severe. How often you will need to come in for a touch-up depends on your metabolism, the health of your skin, your age, your overall health, and your age. Individuals with a higher metabolism or poorer skin health will need more regular maintenance sessions.
What Can I Expect Before My Treatment?
You Must Come in for an Initial Consultation
To determine if you are a good candidate for this type of treatment, you must come in for an initial consultation. Be ready to talk about all of the drugs and nutritional supplements you take, as well as any anti-aging treatments you have had in the past, particularly in the area targeted for treatment.
You Must Prepare for Restylane Treatment
You need to make your skincare your top priority in the days leading up to your treatment session. Stay indoors as much as possible and wear sunblock whenever you go outdoors. Reapply your sunscreen every four hours and remember the sun’s UV rays are at their strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Also, don’t forget you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day. To reiterate, if you’re going outside, wear sunscreen. Don’t engage in activities that are likely to increase the sensitivity of your skin. For example, don’t sunbathe or lie in a tanning bed. Furthermore, don’t wax or tweeze unwanted hairs from the treatment area in the days leading up to your session.
Restore Your Hands and Face Today
Don’t let dehydrated, lax hand and facial skin steal your self-esteem and confidence. Contact us now at ALC Med Spa in Gurnee, IL to book an appointment and discover where you can receive Restylane injections and which formulas will benefit you the most. After a single session, you will enjoy immediate improvements to moderate and severe facial folds and wrinkles. Even better, you can rest easy knowing that the results of these injections will last between six and 18 months when similar fillers only provide results that last three to four months.
