Restylane – reviews, before and after photos, application of Restylane Vital

From this article you will learn:

features and release forms of Restylane®,
reviews of application, price for 2021,
biorevitalization Restylane Vital – reviews, before and after photos.

Restylane is a dermal filler based on stabilized hyaluronic acid, which is used to correct age-related changes in facial skin. It is used to reduce the depth of wrinkles and folds, correct atrophic scars, increase the volume of the cheekbones and cheeks, as well as correct the volume and contour of the lips. This drug in the form of a dense gel is injected, as a rule, into the middle and deep layers of the dermis (but to increase the volume of the cheekbones, deep injections are used, when the filler is laid out on the surface of the periosteum).

The manufacturer is Swedish, which in turn is part of a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and sale of drugs for dermatology. The drug was developed in 1996, and already in 2003 it was approved by the FDA (Federal Bureau of Pharmaceutical Quality Control in the United States) as an effective and safe means for non-surgical face and neck lifting. Today, Restilane is one of the three most popular hyaluronic acid fillers - along with such brands as Juvederm® and Belotero®.

Restylane® Gel (1.0 ml syringes) –

There are several types of fillers available under the Restylane® brand that are designed to correct different areas of the face. In addition to the classic Restylane® filler, there are several other forms: 1) “Restylane® Perlane”, 2) “Restylane Lip Volume”, 3) “Restylane Sub-Q”. But in addition to anti-wrinkle fillers, it also produces two more drugs intended for biorevitalization procedures - Restylane Vital and Restylane Vital Light. We will discuss all their features in detail below.

How Restylane® works –

Restylane® fillers are made from non-animal hyaluronic acid obtained by bacterial fermentation. Normally, the life cycle of hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules is only 24-48 hours, and so that the gel does not quickly collapse, the chains of HA molecules included in its composition are subjected to chemical modification. This leads to the formation of chemical bonds between the individual chains of HA, which seem to “stitch” the individual chains together. This type of HA is called stabilized, and it does not degrade for a long time (from 6 to 12 months).

What does hyaluronic acid gel look like?

Method of application –

Restylane gel is injected using a syringe and a very thin needle. The manufacturer produces each form of Restylane - both with and without 0.3% lidocaine anesthetic. You will need to check this point with your doctor. If the filler does not contain an anesthetic, then local anesthesia will be required before the procedure. To eliminate wrinkles, the gel is injected into the middle or deep layers of the skin (at the base of each wrinkle, along its entire length). Thus, the filler seems to push the wrinkle out.

Correction of deep wrinkles with filler: scheme

The effect of Restylane gel is noticeable immediately after the procedure, which lasts from 15 to 30 minutes. However, you will see the final result only after 24 hours. The thing is. that Restylane is a filler that is not initially fully hydrated with water, and therefore, after being introduced into the tissue, it will expand slightly during the first 24 hours, absorbing water. This point is very important to consider, especially when correcting lip volume.

Restylane gradually breaks down and disappears, leaving no traces. Therefore, you will need to make repeated injections of the gel to maintain the results. The frequency of injections depends on the type of filler injected. After Restylane® and Restylane® Lip injections, the effect lasts for 6 months (or a little more). After Restylane® Perlane injections, the effect lasts 8-9 months, and with Restylane® Sub-Q, the result lasts about 10-12 months.

Restylane: photos before and after the procedure

General information about the brand

The drug "Restylane" has been used in cosmetology for several years to restore the skin to a healthy and youthful appearance or to correct certain areas of the face and body. Each tool is adapted to eliminate a specific number of problems and increases the efficiency of achieving the assigned tasks.

"Restylane" is a fairly popular product in cosmetology today.

If we talk about the price, it depends on the type of drug and its expected volume. The cheapest filler costs approximately 10-12 thousand rubles. All products have a common feature - they contain hyaluronic acid, which is purified in advance.

Important ! Such precautions enable the component to fully adapt to the environment of the human body without causing possible negative effects.

The price depends on the type of drug

The main forms of release of Restylane are:

Below we will analyze in detail the main forms of release and their characteristics. Nowadays, cosmetic clinics offer a wide variety of different types of dermal fillers, and we hope that the information below will allow you to choose the right type of intradermal filler and understand how they all differ. Below you can read reviews of Restylane.

Restylane® and Restylane® Perlane fillers –

Classic Restylane® is a fairly dense, low-elastic gel. Its density is determined by the fact that it consists of medium-sized gel-like particles in the amount of 100,000 particles per 1 ml (particles should be understood as connected chains of hyaluronic acid). The size of each particle is 250 microns. For example, Restylane-Perlane®, which is even more dense in structure, consists of 10,000 particles of a larger size - 1000 microns each. The hyaluronic acid content in both fillers is 20 mg/ml.

Different fillers may contain different amounts of hyaluronic acid (for example, from 18 to 26 mg/ml). But based on the information that Restylane® contains 20 mg/ml hyaluronic acid, and Juvederm® 24 mg/ml, it cannot be concluded that the effect of the latter filler will be longer lasting. The duration of the effect of fillers is largely influenced not by the concentration, but by the type of chemical modification of HA and the type of binder (in Restylane, this substance is BDDE).

This rule clearly applies if you are trying to compare fillers from different manufacturers, because... each uses slightly different hyaluronic acid stabilization technologies. However, if we compare the line of fillers from the same manufacturer, then indeed, more HA will be contained in fillers that are denser in structure, which retain their effect longer (than in soft fillers with high elasticity).

Indications for use of Restylane® –

Classic Restylane is an ideal filler for eliminating medium-depth wrinkles, correcting nasolabial folds, marionette lines, defects of the nose and chin, post-acne atrophic scars, and lifting the tip of the nose. It can also be used to increase the volume of the cheekbones. Despite the fact that it is not suitable for increasing the volume of the lip body, it can be used to create a contour of the red border of the lips in the form of a “Snow White line” or “Cupid’s bow” (24stoma.ru).

In turn, the even denser filler Restylane® Perlane should be used only for the correction of deep wrinkles. If we compare these dermal fillers with others, then in terms of their characteristics, Juvederm Ultra 3 is very close to Restylane®, and Juvederm Ultra 4 is very close to Restylane® Perlane. They are all very high quality, but their cost varies greatly. For example, a cosmetology clinic purchases a 1.0 ml syringe of Restylane for 6,000 rubles, and the purchase price for a 1.0 ml syringe of Juvederm Ultra 3 or 4 is already 11,000 rubles. Accordingly, the final cost of the service will vary.

Restylane® Sub-Q –

Restylane Sub-Q gel is used to correct the contours of the face and neck, increasing the volume of the cheekbones, cheeks and chin. It will add volume to those areas of the face where there has been a decrease in the thickness of the dermal layer of skin or subcutaneous fat. Of all the types of Restylane, this filler is the densest, which is ensured by its reticular (mesh) structure and a large number of connections between the chains of hyaluronic acid.

Available in 2.0 ml syringes. The purchase cost of 1 2.0 ml syringe for a cosmetology clinic is about 12,000 rubles. Thus, in the clinic the price will be no less than 18,000 rubles for this volume. It should be noted that this version of the gel contains the anesthetic lidocaine, and its duration of action will be the longest (compared to all other filler options from this manufacturer) and will range from 10 to 12 months.

3) Restylane Lip Volume ® –

This option is used specifically to increase the volume of the lips or correct their contour. Approved for use in persons over 21 years of age. Please note that to increase lip volume, softer fillers with high elasticity are always required. Injecting denser fillers may cause you to feel denser formations (gel islands) inside your lips, and your sensations will not be natural. However, medium-density fillers can be used to correct the contour of the red border of the lips.

Thus, to increase the volume of the lip body, only the Restylane Lip Volume form can be used, and to correct the contour of the red border to give it an elegant “Snow White line”, you can use both the same gel and the classic Restylane® filler. The price consists of the purchase price of 1 syringe with a volume of 1.0 ml (about 8,000 rubles) + the clinic’s markup in the region of 4-6 thousand rubles.

In Europe for 2021, more types of filler from this manufacturer are available than are presented in Russia. For example, there is such a release form as “Restylane Touch”, designed to eliminate the smallest wrinkles in the corners of the eyes and superficial forehead wrinkles. Those. If you need correction of this particular type of wrinkle, you will inevitably have to choose products from another manufacturer, for example, soft fillers Juvederm Ultra 2 or Belotero Soft.

Restylane injections: video

Restylane: reviews

The Restylane® line of contouring products are very high quality products with an excellent price/quality ratio. As you already understand, you can safely choose them if you need correction of medium or deep folds and wrinkles. Doctors' reviews of Restylane can be summarized in the following information: it is safe, its administration is easy to control, which allows you to get good results. This is what makes this filler one of the most popular in the USA and Europe, although it should be noted that every year more and more similar products of good quality appear.

In addition, this manufacturer is one of the few to conduct laboratory tests of its products for residual protein content. The fact is that almost all fillers today are produced by bacterial fermentation, and therefore, if the degree of purification is insufficient, they may contain a small amount of bacterial proteins that can cause allergic reactions in some patients.

Another feature is the technology of gel extrusion through a special filter, which makes it possible to achieve the presence of gel-like particles of a strictly specified size in the gel composition (for example, 250 or 1000 microns), which allows obtaining a precisely specified density and elasticity of the gel. For example, other manufacturers' fillers consist of gel-like particles with random sizes and shapes. According to some authors, this may lead to an uneven rate of degradation of the hyaluronic acid gel in tissues.

Important: you must understand that fillers are not a panacea, and they are only a temporary solution to the problem of wrinkles and folds. Hyaluronic acid fillers do not lead to the formation of new collagen, and as soon as the gel in the tissue is destroyed, the wrinkle returns again. You should not believe advertising articles that say that the introduction of hyaluronic acid fillers stimulates collagen production or significantly moisturizes the skin. No serious clinical study (which involved taking skin samples before and after the procedure) has shown an increase in collagen in the dermis greater than the statistical error.

Today, there is convincing evidence of the formation of new collagen at filler injection sites. But this evidence does not apply to hyaluronic acid fillers. For example, it has been proven that the process of neocollagenogenesis takes place after the introduction of the Sculptra filler, consisting of microspherical particles of poly-L-lactic acid. Moreover, the effect of introducing this filler is comparable to the effect of plastic surgery. By the way, Sculptra filler is produced by Galderma®, which owns Q-Med, which produces Restylane. Those. In principle, they have the same manufacturer.

Collagen formation is also caused by Radiesse filler, which consists of microspherical particles of calcium hydroxyapatite suspended in a gel. Moreover, the visible effect after using such drugs lasts for about 24 months. You can read more about the different types of fillers for correcting wrinkles and folds at the link below. However, hyaluronic acid fillers are the gold standard for wrinkle correction. Although this standard is more commercial due to the simplicity of the procedure, the absence of the need for any equipment or expensive training of the doctor, and also due to the small number of side effects.

→ Classification of fillers for facial correction

Texture

Perhaps the main difference between Juvederm and Restylane fillers is the consistency of the gels . Juvederm has a "smooth texture". Fillers of the Restylane group have a dense consistency, providing excellent lifting and creating volume. Thanks to NASHA technology, a firmer gel is obtained compared to other hyaluronic acid fillers. In practice, this means that Restylane fillers are more securely fixed at the injection site and do not migrate due to their high adhesiveness - good adhesion to tissues. Preparations of this brand are better suited for increasing volume, especially since the gels are very plastic and easily take the required shape.

Juvederm fillers, in turn, will be a good solution for smoothing out fine wrinkles, including in delicate areas, such as the eye area. Thanks to VYCROSS technology, the American manufacturer managed to achieve the most smooth, silky structure.

With the help of such gels, you can perform the most jewelry work without fear that the result will look unnatural, but also in the line of these drugs there are excellent voluminizers and a new product is the drug Volux, which has unique features that allow you to create a clear oval face and chin.

Restylane Vital: reviews

The Swedish company produces not only fillers for filling wrinkles, but also a line of preparations for skin biorevitalization called Restylane® Skinboosters.
It includes 2 drugs: 1) Restylane Vital - for mature skin with signs of aging, 2) Restylane Vital Light - for the prevention of aging of young skin. Until recently, each of these drugs had 2 release forms: in syringes of 1.0 ml, and also in the form of special injectors of 2.0 ml. Special injectors were convenient because they made it possible to automatically dose the drug, performing a series of 200 microinjections with a volume of 10 μl each. This form has been discontinued for 2021 but is still available from a number of suppliers. Therefore, for a short period of time, Restylane Vital and Restylane Vital Light will only be available in 1.0 ml syringes (with or without lidocaine).

Restylane® Skinboosters VITAL packaging –

Features of Restylane Vital and Vital Light –

It should be noted that these drugs are very different from most of all other biorevitalizants. Most of these preparations use so-called “native” hyaluronic acid, the molecules of which are not cross-linked with each other using chemical bonds. This type of HA is also called “not stabilized”. Native HA molecules have a short life cycle: the half-life of 50% of the molecules is 24 hours, the rest are destroyed over the next 24-48 hours.

Thus, the therapeutic effect of injections with native HA will act on the skin for only about 3 days. During this time, HA will increase the moisture content of the skin and also increase the activity of endothelial cells, which will lead to improved blood supply to the skin. Given the short period of time, this will give tired skin a rested look (for example, after excessive exposure to the sun) - however, there can be no talk of stimulating collagen production or increasing skin elasticity.

Restylane Vital and Restylane Vital Light differ from other preparations with hyaluronic acid used for biorevitalization in that they contain not native, but stabilized HA in the form of a highly elastic gel with a weakly defined reticular mesh structure. Those. They are somewhat similar to wrinkle fillers, but they do not add volume to the skin at the injection site. Once Restylane Vital is injected into the skin, the gel will disintegrate faster than traditional fillers, releasing active HA molecules over about 3-4 weeks.

The duration of the course of therapy will depend on the condition of the skin, but 3 procedures are usually recommended, with a break of 3-4 weeks between them. Below we will describe the features of each drug -

Restylane Vital - contains 20 mg/ml stabilized hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin. Available in 2 versions - with or without 0.3% lidocaine anesthetic. Indicated for use for mature skin with pronounced signs of photoaging, as well as decreased skin elasticity, deformation of facial contours, dryness and increased oiliness of the skin. The drug is injected into the middle layers of the dermis.
Restylane Vital Light - contains 12 mg/ml stabilized hyaluronic acid of non-animal origin.
Available in 2 versions - with or without 0.3% lidocaine anesthetic. Indicated for use on younger skin to prevent photodamage to the skin, as well as for its rapid recovery after toxic or invasive effects (reducing the effects of smoking, after chemical peeling techniques or laser skin resurfacing). Unlike the previous one, this drug can already be used in areas with thinner skin - in the area of the lateral corners of the eyes, in the décolleté area, on the neck, hands. The injection technique is the same for both Vital and Vital Light - for this, the technique of multiple micropunctures (napazh), superficial papules, linear and fan techniques can be used.

Restylane® Vital injection technique: video

What is contour plastic surgery?

This is one of the effective methods of rejuvenation, which does not require surgical intervention and is carried out through the introduction of special drugs called fillers under the skin. They are available in gel form. Fillers are based on collagen, hyaluronic acid and various synthetic compounds.

Fillers are used for contouring

Biorevitalization Restylane Vital: reviews

The reviews for the Restylane Vital series of drugs are both positive and negative, and everything will depend on whether your cosmetologist has created inflated expectations. To sell the biorevitalization procedure, cosmetologists often deceive patients, promising them stimulation of the production of new collagen and reduction in the depth of wrinkles, although this is simply impossible. Yes, you can make your skin more radiant, moisturized, minimize the effects of photodamage from solar radiation, slow down the process of wrinkle formation, but that’s all.

In our opinion, Restylane Vital is suitable for patients up to 35 years old, and Restylane Vital Light - up to 25 years old. But provided that your skin does not need express lifting and reducing the depth of wrinkles. These drugs are not suitable if you need intensive rejuvenation. To achieve the latter (in patients aged 35+), in addition to HA, you need to use DNA-RNA complexes, as well as DMAE, which really affect collagen synthesis and give a quick lifting effect.

If you see on the clinic’s website photos before and after injections with Restylane® Vital series drugs, which show miraculous improvements in skin condition, including reducing the depth of folds and wrinkles, this is nothing more than photoshop, or photos of patients after treatment with more radical hardware techniques. But we repeat once again that these drugs will be effective for the prevention of photoaging and age-related changes in the skin, as well as the correction of minor changes. For patients under 25 years of age, these are usually one-time procedures; for patients 25-35 years of age, depending on the skin condition, these are either one-time procedures or a course of 4 procedures.

In this article you can familiarize yourself with clinical studies on whether mono-preparations of hyaluronic acid affect collagen production, as well as see photos of patients before and after biorevitalization procedures. In the same article (link above) you will find detailed information on comparing biorevitalizants from different companies, and we will also tell you which drugs can really help you achieve wrinkle reduction and express skin lifting (in patients over 30-35 years old).

Important: preparations with hyaluronic acid are suitable for mesotherapy and biorevitalization procedures only in patients with finely wrinkled type of facial skin aging. If you start using HA for deformation (edematous) type of skin aging, you will only worsen the deformation of the face. In patients with the deformational type of aging, lymphatic drainage vascular injection of the face, biorevitalizants with DNA-RNA complexes, DMAE will be in the first place, and only at the end of the course of treatment of 4-5 procedures can they add small concentrations of HA to the composition of the injected drugs (and then no more than 0.3-0.5%).

→ Biorevitalization and types of aging

Who can undergo this procedure at the Latum Clinic?

Biorevitalization Restylane is indicated in the following cases:

to improve facial contours (correction of age-related changes);
to increase the volume of the lips and correct their shape;
if necessary, relieve the patient of wrinkles and shallow folds;
to increase the elasticity of facial skin and its color.

The drug is also effective for eliminating facial asymmetry, minimizing defects after injuries, moisturizing and restoring the skin.

Alternatives to Restylane fillers -

Fillers are an excellent tool for the temporary correction of static wrinkles. But let's consider a situation where the patient has a combination of static and dynamic (crow's feet) wrinkles in the area of the corners of the eyes. In this case, the optimal combination is the use of Botox® injections at the first stage, and only after that a chemical peeling procedure, laser skin resurfacing, or filler injections are performed.

Skin care after injections

Immediately after the procedure, redness and slight swelling appear on the skin. This reaction is completely natural and disappears after 2-3 days. These days you need to apply antiseptic and anti-inflammatory gels to the skin. As a rule, they are prescribed by a specialist after biorevitalization.

Important ! It is worth protecting your skin from direct sunlight in the first two weeks. Sunscreens are suitable for these purposes.

You cannot use cosmetics for about 3-4 days.

To consolidate the results of the procedure, it is worth abandoning certain actions in the first 10-12 days, namely: excluding peeling, sudden temperature changes, physical activity and various types of mechanical effects on the skin.

Some hobbies will have to be put aside for a while

Restylane prices for 1.0 ml –

The cost of the service is calculated based on the amount of gel required. Below we have indicated the approximate cost of injections of 1.0 ml of Restylane gel in mid-price clinics. In economy segment clinics, the cost may be 2000-3000 rubles lower. All prices below are per 1.0 ml (for 2021).

Restylane price – from 14,000 rubles.
Restylane Perline – from RUB 16,000.
Restylane Lip Volume – from RUB 17,500.
for Restylane Vital the price is from 13,000 rubles.
Restylane Vital Light – from RUB 11,000.

The cost of almost any type of fillers and biorevitalization products under the Restylane® brand is no more than 6,000-7,000 rubles per 1.0 ml. Everything else is an extra charge for the cosmetology clinic. But you shouldn’t chase the lowest price, because... The doctor’s experience still plays the biggest role in patient satisfaction and safety from complications. We hope that our article on the topic: The use of Restylane in cosmetology was useful to you!

Sources:

, 2. Personal experience with fillers, 3. National Library of Medicine (USA), 4. https://www.restylane.com/, 5. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ (NCBI, USA),6. “Cosmetic dermatology” (L. Bauman), 7. “Injection methods in cosmetology” (B. Asher).