Restylane®
Restylane® is a dermal fillers designed to smooth wrinkles, sculpt lips and shape facial contours. It is a clear, synthetic gel made with hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that is found throughout your body. It carries little risk of allergic reaction. The most common areas for treatment are the glabellar lines (between the eyebrows) and the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of your mouth). With its unique ability to bind with water, Restylane remains in your skin for many months.
Dr. Steinbrech discusses combining procedures to obtain a more Natural Look
Is Restylane® effective?
Yes. Clinical studies show that patients injected with Restylane for the treatment of facial folds achieved an optimal cosmetic result. These results were sustained for a longer period of time (as much as twice as long) than with collagen.
How does Restylane work?
Restylane works in two ways: Upon injection, into the mid to deep dermis (middle skin layer), the NASHA™ gel adds volume and fullness to smooth facial wrinkles and folds. It integrates into dermal tissue, then attracts and binds to water molecules to help maintain volume.
Is Restylane safe?
Yes. Restylane has been used safely by dermatologists and plastic surgeons since 1996 worldwide. Because Restylane is non-animal-based and fully biocompatible, allergy testing is not required. The most commonly reported side effects were temporary redness and swelling at the injection site. These effects typically resolve within two to three days.
What should patients do prior to treatment?
Restylane requires no pre-testing, but patients should take a few precautions: avoid using aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, St. John’s Wort, or high doses of vitamin E, as these may increase bruising or bleeding; if patients have previously suffered from facial cold sores, there is a risk that needle punctures could contribute to recurrence.
Hylaform®
Hylaform® or hylan B gel is a FDA-approved dermal fillers used to temporarily reduce minor lines and wrinkles on the face by adding volume to the skin. Hylaform is made with purified hyaluronic acid, a sugar found naturally in the body that works with collagen to keep the skin smooth and supple. Aging, exposure to sunlight and other factors cause the hyaluronic acid in our cells to break down. Our skin loses volume, and lines and wrinkles appear. Hylaform injections replace those sugars and restore the skin to its youthful appearance. Frequently treated areas are the nasolabial (smile) lines, vertical lip lines, frown lines between the eyes, and marionette lines. No pre-treatment skin test is necessary. Treatments are quick and painless, and results are natural-looking and immediately visible. Effects last for a few months and then begin to fade as Hylaform is re-absorbed by the body.
Radiesse™
Radiesse™ is one of the synthetic injectable dermal fillers that reduces wrinkles, creases and scars by augmenting the body’s natural collagen supply. Composed of microspheres in a biocompatible gel, Radiesse is made from the same minerals found in our bones, so it carries little risk of allergic reaction. Radiesse can be used on many areas of the body, including the lips, nasolabial folds, peri-oral lines, depressed scars and oral commissures.
Treatments typically take 15 minutes and require only local anesthetic. Side effects such as swelling or bruising are minimal and should fade within a few days. Results are visible immediately after the injection and can last for months or years, although the procedure can be repeated as often as you wish.
What is Radiesse® made of?
Radiesse® is composed of microspheres in a water-based gel. The microspheres—made of a substance called calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA)—stimulate the production of collagen to smooth lines and wrinkles and also add younger-looking suppleness to the face. Radiesse® is made from minerals similar to what makes up our bones. There is no need for pre-treatment allergy testing, and it is absorbed naturally by the body over time.
What areas does Radiesse® treat?
Radiesse® can be used on many areas of the face and body. Numerous studies have shown Radiesse® to be especially effective for filling and correcting smile lines, nasolabial folds (lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth), marionette lines (from the corners of the mouth to the chin), and other lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth. It can also be used to treat depressed scars and oral commissures.
Radiesse® has also been approved by the FDA to restore and correct the signs of lipoatrophy (loss of fat beneath the skin) in patients with HIV.
Sculptra®
Sculptra® counteracts the loss of fat beneath the skin (a condition called lipoatrophy). Sculptra® is injected into the deep dermis layer of the skin to improve the appearance of sunken cheeks, hollow eyes, indentations and wrinkles. Its main component is an alpha hydroxy acid that has been used for 20 years in surgical products such as dissolvable sutures. Results can last up to two years.