RESTYLANE

Restylane is a biodegradable gel based on hyaluronic acid, a natural substance which is already found in your skin and joint fluid. Restylane is used for filling in facial folds and wrinkles and for lip enhancement and enlargement and is an alternative to Zyplast and CosmoPlast.

Q: What areas respond best to Restylane?
The best results occur when Restylane is injected into fine lines of the upper and lower lip. Other areas that respond well are the deeper wrinkles and folds on the cheeks and corners of the mouth. When Restylane is injected into the lip, it can restore a more natural and sensuous look and last up to twice as long as other injectables.

Q. Is Restylane safe?
Yes. Restylane has been FDA approved and used safely by dermatologists in more than one million treatments in over 60 countries since 1996. The Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body and as a result, dissolves naturally with time and is integrated into you body’s tissues. Restylane is completely degraded, leaving absolutely no traces of the injectable material in the body. Restylane has been used all over Canada and Europe for many years.

Q. Are there any side effects?
The most common side effects are temporary redness and swelling at the injection site but they resolve in two to three days.

Q. How is Restylane administered?
The treatment consists of an injection under the skin. The entire procedure takes less than 30 minutes and has absolutely no downtime. Pain relief is usually not needed but an anesthetic cream may be applied to numb the area one hour before the injection. When injecting the lips, an anesthetic block is used so the treatment is painless.

Q: What should I do prior to the treatments?
Patients should avoid taking aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. High doses of Vitamin E supplements one week prior to procedure will help to minimize any bruising or bleeding at the infection site.

Q: How long will the injection last?
Restylane lasts twice as long as Collagen, so treatments are typically scheduled twice a year. Depending on the patient, most folds and wrinkles may require more than one treatment. The injections should last up to six months or longer.

Q: How much does Restylane cost?
Treatments will vary from patient to patient. In general, the cost of Restylane is comparable to the cost of similar filler procedures. Because it lasts longer, it proves to be very economical over a long period of time.

Radiance is a new injectable product for lip enlargement and filling of folds and lines. Radiance consists of calcium hydroxylapatite suspended gel (carboxymethylcellulose). Because calcium hydroxylapatite is a normal constituent of bone, it should not elicit a chronic inflammatory or immune response. Additionally, Radiance does not require allergy testing. Radiance is a safe, effective and non-surgical treatment, which provides immediate smoothing out of wrinkles and most scars. The areas are naso-labial folds (laugh lines), peri-oral line (around the mouth), lip enhancement, depressed scars, and oral commissures (corners of lips). Injection of Radiance may be painful, however, a topical cream (ELE-Max) may be applied one hour prior to procedure or dental blocks may be performed immediately before the procedure. Radiance is then injected into the wrinkles with a needle. The procedure takes about 15 minutes. Following the procedure, patients may immediately return back to daily activities, however, the treatment sights may be swollen for 1-2 days, also, bruising may appear at the injection sight, which may be covered with makeup. Depending on the areas treated, most of the correction may last several months, or even years. Touch up treatments may be necessary. The longest-term studies come from Italy, which suggest that Radiance shows promise as a new agent for facial contouring with minimum side effects and reasonable efficacy and durability.