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Restylane® Family in Scottsdale, AZ

The Restylane® Line of Products include:

  • Original Restylane® for facial wrinkles and aging folds.
  • Restylane® Lyft for volume restoration in the cheeks and other wrinkles.
  • Restylane® Silk for lips and the lines around the lips.
  • Restylane® Refyne for small to moderate wrinkles and folds.
  • Restylane® Defyne for moderate to severe wrinkles and folds.

Restylane® is one of the most popular dermal fillers used at Guerra Plastic Surgery and is FDA-approved to add volume and fullness for facial wrinkles and folds. Restylane® is a sterile clear gel of hyaluronic acid (HA) and is specifically formulated to act like our own naturally produced hyaluronic acid. The size of the HA particles used in Restylane® is in the mid-range. With advancing age, our bodies do not produce HA as it does in younger individuals and lines and wrinkles become more noticeable.

Restylane® helps to visibly correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds in men and women. This includes laugh lines which occur from your nose to the corners of your mouth, lines running from the corners of the mouth down to the chin (Marionette lines), and the corner of the lips themselves. In addition to the original Restylane®, other products which are better suited to adding volume or for smaller lines and the lips are available.

Galderma Products diagram
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Understanding Facial Aging

Before and After Restylane Patient (photos courtesy of Medicis)
Patient receives a full correction with Restylane® in the nasolabial folds. Photos courtesy of Medicis.

Volume loss and drooping of tissues are also the results of facial aging. The most common facial aging problem seen is related to loss of youthful volume in the cheek and middle of the face. Another common problem experienced with aging is drooping of the facial tissues which leads to the formation of grooves between the eyes and nose (nasojugal groove), deep lines between the mouth and cheeks (nasolabial or laugh lines), and jowls at the jawline. Lines can also be seen at the corners of the mouth going down to the chin.

For all these problems, there are many facial filler (Restylane® and Restylane® Lyft) options available to restore the volume loss (Juvéderm® Voluma XC) and reduce the lines of aging. Our injectors are highly trained in using all these FDA approved dermal fillers. Please continue reading to learn more about the treatment regimens we recommend.

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Which Restylane® is Right for Me?

The Restylane® family of products offers FDA-approved fillers which are differentiated from each other by the particle size of the hyaluronic acid (HA) molecule. The larger particles are generally used for volume restoration and deep folds such as the laugh lines. The middle of the road HA particles are the work horses of the line and can be used in a variety of different locations of the face. Restylane® Silk utilizes the smallest HA particles in this family of products. The finer particles result in a smoother gel and are ideal for fine lines around the mouth area and lip augmentation. The results of these dermal injections are temporary. Our very experienced injectors who are certified in their field will assist you in choosing the best combination of products for your treatment areas.

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Restylane® Lyft

Restylane® Lyft is a FDA-approved filler indicated to provide volume restoration and a lift to the cheeks in patients that have lost volume in the area due to aging. It can also be used to smooth smile lines (nasolabial folds) in men and women over the age of 21. Aging causes the natural fat that lives within the cheeks to deteriorate, resulting in an aged and hollowed out look, sagging skin, and more prominent wrinkles in the face. Reduced volume in the cheeks and midface region can be safely treated using Restylane® Lyft. This injectable dermal filler uses hyaluronic acid (HA) gel particles that are larger than those found in the rest of the product line resulting in excellent restoration of youthful facial volume.

Restylane® Silk

Restylane® Silk is the first FDA-approved product which was designed for lip augmentation and the smoothing of wrinkles and lines around your mouth. While some people are born to have thin lips and others acquire them with aging, Restylane® Silk, is effective at temporarily adding volume and erasing lines around the lips. For patients 21 years and older, with the passage of time new lines around the mouth can show the signs of aging. These signs include the vertical lines above the lip, lip thinning and loss of shape, and loss of overall volume of the lips. Restylane® Silk provides a smaller and smoother form of hyaluronic acid (HA) particles, than those in other Restylane® products, to provide more natural-looking results in this delicate area.

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Restylane® Refyne & Restylane® Defyne

The face is typically the first place we notice aging. Laugh lines, or lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth (nasolabial folds), may deepen. The marionette lines, or the lines from the corners of the mouth that run toward the bottom of the chin, may become more noticeable. The skin around the mouth may not look and feel as smooth and firm as it once did and show fine wrinkles (crepey skin).

Fortunately, there are treatment options to help reduce the signs of aging to the laugh lines and temporarily restore a more youthful appearance all while being able to maintain your normal facial expressions. Consider the hyaluronic acid fillers Restylane® Refyne or Restylane® Defyne. These new dermal fillers have been designed to create way more natural looking results than previous fillers.

What Makes Restylane® Refyne & Restylane® Defyne Different From Other HA Fillers?

Today, the most popular dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid. When injected, the hyaluronic acid helps to bolster fullness and volume. You may recognize these fillers by brand name, like the Restylane® family fillers such as Restylane-L®, Restylane® Lyft and Restylane® Silk, or Juvederm® family fillers such as Juvederm® Ultra, Volbella, Voluma and Vollure. These fillers all contain hyaluronic acid. What makes them different are slight differences in the formulation and the size of the particles. For instance, Restylane® Silk tends to have very fine particles (great for crepey skin) compared to Restylane® Lyft that has larger particles (great for lifting tissue). This would be like comparing fine sugar granules to raw sugar-the raw sugar particles being much bigger. Restylane® Silk’s fine particles are suited for injecting into the lips, for a smooth, natural appearance. Restylane® Lyft is better suited for bringing more volume to the cheek area.

Restylane® Refyne & Restylane® Defyne are next generation fillers that incorporate XpresHAn Technology™. As we discussed particle size earlier, Restylane® Refyne and Restylane® Defyne would be similar to honey on the particle spectrum from raw sugar to refined sugar. This means that when injected, it feels smooth, and as you make facial expressions, the product moves with you. With older HA fillers, patients sometimes complain that when they make facial expressions like smiling, they are able to see evidence of fullness where the filler was placed. With Restylane® Refyne and Defyne, which is the latest innovation in dermal fillers, the product has fluidity. This means the filler will keep you looking like you and flexes and moves with your facial expressions to give you a natural, never stiff look.

What is Best for Me? Restylane® Refyne or Restylane® Defyne?

The depth of the wrinkles or folds will determine which of these cutting edge fillers is appropriate to use. Restylane® Refyne is typically used to treat small to moderate wrinkles and folds. Restylane® Defyne is used to treat moderate to severe deep wrinkles and folds. Our experienced injectors will discuss your concerns and evaluate you to determine which of these products would give you the optimal natural-looking result.

How Long Does Restylane® Refyne and Restylane® Defyne Last?

Results from Restylane® Refyne or Restylane® Defyne may last up to one year post treatment.

If you are looking for a dermal filler that will help you look more youthful, natural-looking appearance, while helping you maintain your natural expressions, consider Restylane® Refyne or Restylane® Defyne.

Are There Any Reasons I Should NOT Get Restylane® Refyne or Restylane® Defyne?

Our primary concern is your safety. At each visit, we take a medical history to determine if these products are safe and appropriate for you. You should not use these products if:

  • You have severe allergies with a history of severe reactions (anaphylaxis).
  • You are allergic to lidocaine or to any of the proteins used to make hyaluronic acid.
  • You are prone to bleeding or have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder.
  • You are breastfeeding, pregnant, or trying to become pregnant. The safety of these products for use during pregnancy, or in women who are breastfeeding, has not been studied.
  • You have any history of scarring, particularly thick and stiff scars, or any pigmentation (skin color) disorders. These side effects can occur with hyaluronic acid fillers in general.
Kristen before Restylane Defyne Kristen after Restylane Defyne
Kristen, before and after 2 weeks of Restylane® Defyne.
Images courtesy of Galderma Laboratories, L.P. used by their permission.
Elfie before Restylane Refyne Elfie after Restylane Refyne
Elfie, before and after 2 weeks of Restylane® Refyne.
Images courtesy of Galderma Laboratories, L.P. used by their permission.
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What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring substance in the human body. It is a sugar-based compound that helps deliver and maintain moisture and nutrient levels in the cells. It is found in soft connective tissue, the fluid around our eyes, in some cartilage and joint fluids, as well as our skin. Hyaluronic acid helps create volume, smoothness and elasticity to the skin. As we age, the hyaluronic acid in our bodies diminishes, resulting in loss of volume and increased aging. This volume loss leads to the appearance of wrinkles, folds and depressions in the skin.

What Are Some of The Side Effects?

The most commonly observed side effects are typically mild in severity and usually resolve in 7-14 days. The most commonly observed side effects include:

  • swelling
  • redness
  • pain
  • headache
  • tenderness
  • lump formation
  • itching at the injection site

Serious but rare side effects include delayed onset infections, recurrence of herpetic eruptions, and superficial necrosis at the injection site. One of the risks with using this product is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious, and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. While the satisfaction rate is extremely high with these new dermal fillers, not everyone likes the way they look after injections. In such cases, we offer the opportunity for each patient to have the filler completely dissolved in office.

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Aldo Guerra, MD, FACS

Aldo Guerra, MD, FACS

Dr. Aldo Guerra trained specifically and extensively for a career in cosmetic plastic surgery. After completing his plastic surgery training he passed the qualifying examination to become board certified in plastic surgery by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has over 15 years of experience practicing plastic surgery.

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