Dermal Fillers

What is Restylane®?

Restylane is a range of products for facial aesthetic treatments. They are designed to effectively reduce the appearance of unwanted wrinkles, contour and create volume or revitalise the skin. Restylane is a gel based on stabilized hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance that naturally exists in your body. The gel is injected into the skin.

What are the benefits of Restylane?

A treatment with Restylane provides an easy way to enhance your looks. The result of a single treatment can be seen instantly and  lasts around one year. With Restylane you will achieve  a natural looking result that does not affect facial expression.  Remember your face changes over time, Restylane allows you to control your looks subtly as you age.
Restylane is the most scientifically documented HA based dermal filler in the world with comprehensive studies that support its safety and efficacy. Restylane has been used in over 10 million treatments worldwide during the last twelve years.

What areas can be treated?

Restylane products can be used to smooth away facial lines and wrinkles, create fuller lips and shape facial contours, such as cheeks and chin, and revitalise the skin.

The most common areas treated are:

  • Nose to mouth lines (the nasolabial folds)
  • between the eyebrows (the glabella lines)
  • lips (adding volume and shape)
  • cheeks and chin (shaping and contouring)
  • back of the hands, décolletage, face, neck (skin revitalisation)

How does Restylane work?

By boosting the skin’s supply of hyaluronic acid, Restylane  revitalises and adds volume to the skin, instantly diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and giving a natural softer look. Restylane is a soft injectable gel consisting of stabilized, non-animal hyaluronic acid.  It is long-lasting but not permanent.

What does Restylane treatment involve?

Restylane is injected into the skin in small amounts using a very fine needle. The gel provides natural volume to smooth away the appearance of lines and wrinkles, enhance facial shape, or create fuller lips.
The treatment is quick, typically taking about 20-30 minutes. Treatment with Restylane does not affect facial expression and the benefits can normally be seen instantly.
Restylane products are biodegradable, which means they will naturally disappear in the body. To ensure an optimal and long lasting result, a top-up treatment is recommended 6-12 months after your initial Restylane treatment.
One of the great advantages of Restylane is that the effects are long lasting but not permanent. Duration depends on many factors, such as the individual’s skin type, skin condition lifestyle and age.

Can everybody use Restylane?

Most people can benefit from Restylane treatment. If you wish to:

  • reduce lines and wrinkles
  • create more defined or fuller lips,
  • define the contours of your face, such as chin or cheek,
  • boost your skin’s vitality, for a healthier more hydrated skin tone (e.g. face, hands, neck or décolletage)

Restylane should not be used in or near areas where there is or has been skin disease, inflammation or skin related  problems. Restylane has not been tested in pregnant or breast-feeding women, Individuals with medical conditions that lower the body’s immune response or individuals undergoing therapy that is immunosuppressive may be more prone to infection by a skin injection procedure.

 Does Restylane treatment need pain relief?

Generally, pain relief is not necessary when injecting into the skin to correct lines and wrinkles. Some people may experience the treatment as a mild discomfort. A local anaesthetic cream can be applied to the area for a more comfortable treatment experience. The lips are a highly sensitive part of the body and, therefore, anaesthesia is usually recommended before lip enhancement. This is achieved most effectively by using a dental block or local anaesthetic.
Restylane and Restylane Perlane are now also available with the local anaesthetic lidocaine included for a more comfortable treatment experience.

Are there any risks with Restylane?

More than 10 million treatments have been performed since the launch of Restylane in 1996. Product related reactions are rare. There are some injection related reactions which may occur after any injection; they typically resolve spontaneously a few days after injection to the skin, within a week after injection into the lips and within two weeks after injection with Restylane SubQ. These reactions include redness, swelling, pain, itching, bruising or tenderness at the injection site.
After lip enhancement, lips may swell for up to a week, but this typically reduces after two to three days.

Do I need to take a skin test?

No skin test is required as Restylane does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.

Can Restylane be used if I have had laser treatment or a chemical peel?

If you have recently had a laser or chemical peel treatment, it is recommended you wait until the area is totally healed and the skin is back to its normal condition.

Wrinkle Softening

Why do I get wrinkles and lines?

The lines that appear are a result of muscle movement and the passage of time. When muscles contract, they cause the skin to fold or furrow. As skin becomes less elastic with age, those folds or furrows result in stubborn lines.

What causes frown lines between the brows?

The frown line between the eyebrows is caused by the action of a muscle called the corrugator. Injecting BTX directly into the corrugator muscle stops the ability to draw the eyebrows together when you frown. Once the muscle is relaxed, it cannot contract, and the frown line gradually fades away

How does BTX works?

During treatment, very low doses of BTX are administered via a few injections directly into the muscles. By blocking the release of a chemical that causes these muscles to contract, BTX enables them to relax. The effects are very localized and, do not affect your ability to smile, laugh, or otherwise show expression.

What can be treated with BTX?

  • Crow’s feet
  • frown lines between brows
  • forehead
  • smokers lines
  • orange peel (chin)
  • excessive sweating ( armpits)

    What is the treatment like?

    BTX is a quick and minimally invasive procedure consisting of a few tiny injections. No anaesthesia is required, though you choose to numb the area with a cold pack or anaesthetic cream prior to injecting. The entire procedure takes 10 minutes, and there is no downtime afterwards. Discomfort is minimal and brief.

    Will I still be able to make facial expressions?

    Although you may see a marked improvement, a treatment does not make you look like you’ve “had work done.” The muscle activity that causes lines is simply reduced, so you can still frown or look surprised without the wrinkles and creases between your brows.

    How soon will I see a difference?

    The results of BTX treatment starts to appear in three to ten days.

    How long will it last?

    Visible results have been shown to last up to 4 months. The treated muscles will gradually regain their action. When the lines start to reappear, a simple repeat treatment is all that is necessary to maintain the desired results.

    How do I know if BTX is right for me?

    If you are between the ages of 18 and 65 with moderate to severe lines , you may be a candidate.

    Can everyone have BTX treatment?

    No. The main contraindications are listed below.

    • People with an infection at the site of injection
    • People who have previously had an allergic reaction to botulinum toxin type A injections
    • Abnormal muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis)
    • Chronic disease affecting the muscles (Eaton Lambert syndrome)
    • A condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in which there is progressive degeneration of the nerves that activate the muscles
    • People over 65 years old
    • Children under the age of 18 years
    • Pregnancy
    • Breastfeeding

    What are the possible side effects?

    The most common side effects following injection include redness, bruising, irritation or tenderness at the injection site, headache. In some cases temporary eyelid drop or nausea.