Naturally plentiful in youthful skin, a compound called hyaluronic acid (HA) binds moisture to the skin, maintaining fullness and elasticity. However, hyaluronic acid degrades as the skin ages and less replacement HA is produced, leading to reduced volume and diminishing the skin’s ability to “spring back.” This leads to the formation of lines, wrinkles, and folds, and the facial contours can become less defined as the skin starts to sag or droop.
Restylane is a hyaluronic acid dermal filler that seeks to replace lost HA with the same naturally occurring compounds found in the skin. When injected properly, it will immediately boost skin volume and with time, also increase the production of collagen and decrease the appearance of wrinkles, lines, and folds.
A Restylane procedure is minimally invasive and does not require downtime for recovery or general anesthesia; in fact, it is often done during a lunch hour, as patients can and do return immediately to their daily activities. After a consultation, one or two syringes of Restylane will be injected into the decided upon treatment areas by the dermatologist. There may be a few mild side effects such as swelling, bruising, or pain at the injection site, but these usually fade within a short period.