If you’re looking for a dermal filler treatment to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on your face and hands, you probably have come across Restylane and are wondered how this treatment works. Essentially, this treatment, as offered by Your Skin RN, located in Kitchener, Ontario, consists of injecting wrinkled skin with a combination of hyaluronic acid and water to plump up and smooth the skin out.
Adds Volume
The main way this kind of treatment works is by adding volume under the skin, which then causes wrinkled skin to stretch and become smooth. On the most basic level, these injections fill up the skin that is wrinkled so that it no longer appears wrinkled. If you think about a deflated balloon, it is flat and wrinkly before you add air or water to it. When you put water or air into a deflated balloon, the surface stretches and becomes smooth.
As previously mentioned, these injections contain hyaluronic acid and water. Hyaluronic acid and water are the ingredients that create the volumizing effect under the skin. This treatment is primarily used to reduce the appearance of moderate to severe wrinkles on the face and the back of the hands, but it can be used to smooth out skin in other places as well. Some patients also use it to plump up their lips and make them appear fuller.
The Procedure
Before the injections are administered, the technician will determine the places where the injections will be made and how much filler will be injected into each area. Then, using a thin gauge needle, the hyaluronic acid and water will be injected into the skin along a wrinkle, fold, or lip. The injections will be placed in the mid-to-deep dermis layer of the skin, except with lip augmentation, where the injection needs to be deeper (into the submucosal layer).
The treated site will then be gently massaged to ensure the filler conforms to the contour of the area and to ensure there’s been no overcorrection. If an overcorrection occurs, the filler can be smoothed out to achieve the desired volume. If the desired volume has not been achieved after the first round of injections, more filler can be added until you are satisfied with the results. There is no danger of overdosing on Restylane, as it’s a naturally-occurring substance.
Procedure Time
A great aspect of this treatment is that since it’s a natural substance already in your body, you don’t have to undergo an allergy test for hyaluronic acid. This means even your first session will be quick. Many sessions are completed within 15 minutes, with the longest appointments lasting about 30 minutes. The actual length of your appointment will depend on how many injections you’re scheduled to receive and whether you need additional injections to achieve your desired results.
Uses
These injections are versatile and can be used to smooth out a variety of skin blemishes, but are most often used to smooth out wrinkles and plump up lips. You may want to consider Restylane treatment if you have any of the following conditions:
- Crow’s feet
- Lip augmentation
- Lip border definition
- Chin augmentation
- Acne scars
- Chickenpox scars
- Scar lines
- Hollow look around the eyes
Preparation for Restylane Treatment
Overview
No matter what type of filler you’re getting injected into your skin, you’ll want to prepare properly for your treatment to get the best results. For people who are new to injectables, there could be some anxious feelings toward having injections of hyaluronic acid put into your skin. This nonsurgical treatment is one that can be done quickly and easily right in a clinic’s setting, without much preparation on your part; however, there are still some guidelines to heed.
One Week Before Treatment
At this point before your treatment, you should avoid over-the-counter medications that can cause blood thinning, including aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen (Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve). Additionally, discontinue use of supplements, including vitamin E, garlic, ginseng, St. John’s Wort, ginkgo biloba, and primrose oil, among others. Check with your provider to obtain a full list of supplements to avoid prior to treatment.
Two Days Before Treatment
Anti-aging products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), retinoids, retinol, and glycolic acid should be discontinued at least two days before your treatment. In addition, you should not wax, tweeze, or shave the treatment areas within 48 hours of your appointment. It is also suggested that you do not start taking Arnica this close to your injections to help prevent bruising.
One Day Before Treatment
Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages within 24 hours of your treatment to keep your blood from thinning.
Treatment Day
All you need to do on the day of your treatment is to arrive at your appointment with a clean face. This means you have washed it with soap and water and you are not wearing any makeup on the treatment areas.
Results
You will be able to see results from Restylane immediately after you receive your injections. This is because it’s a filler and adds volume as soon as it’s injected. However, you may need to wait about one week to see the full results. You may need to receive more than one treatment to achieve the results you desire, but this is based on how you as an individual and your response to the treatment as well as how full you want your skin to be.
Once you achieve the fullness you want, this is a long-lasting treatment. If you have your face treated, you can expect to see results for at least six months, but often, patients report their results have lasted up to a year. If you have your hands treated, the results don’t last as long, and you’ll probably need to have a repeat treatment at the six-month mark. As such, you should schedule regular sessions to ensure you always have smooth skin.
Benefits
Overview
If you are currently not pleased with how your skin looks, getting Restylane injections can improve your appearance and restore your self-confidence, and you don’t have to undergo a surgical procedure to get the results you want. For this reason, filler injections are safer than surgical solutions, and they are cheaper as well. There are other benefits to these injections as well.
Minimal Downtime
When compared to surgery, Restylane injections have little-to-no downtime. You can have this treatment done on your lunch break and return to the office immediately after you receive the injections. You won’t have any activity restrictions, and you won’t have to stay in a recovery room to allow the anesthesia to wear off following the treatment, either.
Immediate Results
If you get surgery, you have to wait several days or weeks for the swelling to subside and your bandages removed before you can see the results of the procedure. With injections, though, you get results right away. By keeping a regular injection schedule, other people won’t even know when you get your treatments because your skin will continually stay smooth or your lips will stay plump.
Long-Lasting Results
As mentioned previously, you will achieve long-lasting results with your injections. While they aren’t permanent, you can usually go at least six months between treatments, with many patients going even longer. You won’t have to return for checkups between sessions, which will make the time seem even longer.
Improvements In Skin Health
The injections actually stimulate your body’s production of collagen, which is a necessary component of skin, but one that decreases in production as we age. When your body begins producing more collagen after being stimulated by the injections, you’ll notice that your skin on other parts of your body appears healthier. Moreover, you’ll eventually be able to go longer between sessions as your body starts handling more of the collagen production.
A Natural Look
Your provider will only inject as much filler as to make your results look natural. You can start out conservative to see if you like how you look and then add more injections as desired. Since the injections contain a naturally-occurring substance, you don’t have to worry about getting too much, and your body will absorb the hyaluronic acid over time. You are not putting anything harmful into your body, and your look can be fully personalized.
A Youthful Look
Wrinkles and sagging skin can make you appear to be older than you actually are. When you smooth out your skin and make it fuller with Restylane injections, you will look younger than you are. This may give you increased confidence to participate in social events, or just make you feel more attractive as you go about your everyday life. We always want to look as young as possible, and this is an easy way to do it.
Reversible
If you’re worried that you won’t like how you look with facial fillers, you should know that this treatment is reversible. The injected hyaluronic acid can be dissolved using Hyaluronidase, which is how most providers prefer to reverse this treatment. This process will be completed in stages to ensure your look remains as natural as possible. Just as the treatment is nonsurgical, reversing the treatment is also nonsurgical.
Ideal Candidate
Restylane injections are meant for adults who have moderate wrinkles on their skin, typically either on their face or hands. These wrinkles are those that show even when your face is at rest rather than those that occur when you smile or laugh. Your skin should be healthy and free from any chronic conditions, including rashes, at the time of your session. If you smoke, you may want to quit to ensure your results are as long-lasting as possible.
You should also have realistic expectations about the results you’ll get with facial fillers. Remember, the results are not permanent and you’ll need to keep up with maintenance injection appointments to keep the volume you desire. Facial fillers may be a good option for those who want to see how they might look if they decide to get a surgical facelift in the future. Since results aren’t permanent, there’s no harm in using this treatment as a test run.
It’s not necessary to be older to receive these injections, so if you’re younger and just want a fuller-looking face or lips, you may be a perfect candidate as well. You do need to be at least 18 years old, since that is the minimum age for which the FDA approved this treatment. Check with your provider to determine which treatment is best for your specific needs and concerns.
Call Us Now!
If you’re ready to see how you’ll look with fuller, smoother skin, it’s time to get a consultation and learn how we can help. Contact our experts at Your Skin RN in Kitchener, Ontario today to schedule your initial appointment.