Skin Care Education

Restylane

One of the original and most established hyaluronic acid filler brands, made by Galderma. The Restylane family includes products for structural volume, lip enhancement, fine lines, and deep skin hydration.

What Is Restylane?

Restylane is a family of hyaluronic acid-based injectable products made by Galderma. It was one of the first hyaluronic acid fillers approved for aesthetic use and has been in clinical use for over two decades, giving it one of the longest safety and efficacy track records of any filler brand. The Restylane range uses hyaluronic acid produced through bacterial fermentation rather than animal sources, making it biocompatible and very well tolerated.

The Restylane product family is extensive and includes products designed for different facial areas and purposes. Restylane Lyft is a thick, lifting filler for the cheeks and midface. Restylane Defyne and Refyne are flexible products for nasolabial folds and areas of high movement. Restylane Kysse and Lip are formulated for the lips. Restylane Contour is designed for cheek definition. Restylane Skinboosters is a skin hydration treatment that delivers small amounts of hyaluronic acid throughout the skin for quality improvement rather than structural volume. The original Restylane product remains in use for a range of facial applications.

Restylane uses NASHA technology for some of its products, a stabilisation method that produces a particulate gel, and OBT technology for others, which produces a smoother gel. These different technologies produce products with different textures, lift capacities, and movement properties suited to different treatment areas and goals. All Restylane products are reversible with hyaluronidase.

What to Expect

Restylane treatment follows the same process as other hyaluronic acid filler treatments. A topical numbing cream is applied before injections, and most Restylane products contain lidocaine in the formulation for additional comfort during injection. The product is injected using a fine needle or cannula depending on the area and the provider’s technique.

Sessions typically take 20 to 45 minutes. Some swelling and occasional bruising in the treated areas is normal and settles within a few days to a week. Results are visible immediately, with the final settled result apparent at one to two weeks. Duration varies by product and area, from around six to nine months for lip products to eighteen months or more for deeper structural products.

Standard aftercare applies: avoiding vigorous exercise, significant heat, and pressure on the treated areas for the first 24 hours. Sun protection over treated areas is advisable in the initial recovery period.

Who It’s For and Results

Restylane products are suited to a wide range of candidates and concerns, from volume restoration and structural enhancement to lip augmentation, line softening, and skin quality improvement through Skinboosters. The provider selects the most appropriate product within the Restylane family based on the specific treatment area, the depth of placement, and the goal.

Restylane’s long track record means there is an extensive body of clinical evidence supporting its use across different facial applications. Providers who work regularly with the Restylane range develop a thorough familiarity with each product’s behaviour, which supports consistent and predictable results.

Results from Restylane treatment, with experienced technique and appropriate dosing, are a natural-looking improvement or enhancement of the treated area. The full Restylane family allows providers to address most injectable facial treatment goals within a single, well-established brand.

Frequently Asked Questions: Restylane

Restylane and Juvederm are both leading hyaluronic acid filler brands with strong clinical track records. Restylane uses NASHA or OBT technology depending on the product, producing gels with different textures than the VYCROSS technology used in Juvederm. In clinical practice, both brands produce comparable results when used by experienced providers familiar with each product. Some providers have a strong preference for one brand over the other based on their experience and the behaviour of the products they use most. Both are safe, reversible, and well established. The choice between them is typically a provider decision rather than a meaningful clinical difference from the patient’s perspective.

Restylane Skinboosters is a specific product in the Restylane range designed for skin quality improvement rather than structural volume. It is injected in a series of small, superficial injections distributed across the treatment area, delivering hyaluronic acid throughout the skin to improve deep hydration, texture, and elasticity. It is one of the original skin booster products and has a well-established clinical profile for improving the overall quality and luminosity of the skin on the face, neck, and hands. It is a skin hydration and quality treatment rather than a volume or structural treatment.

Duration varies significantly across the Restylane range. Lip products such as Restylane Kysse typically last six to twelve months. Mid-range products for folds and lines last nine to twelve months. Structural products such as Restylane Lyft last up to eighteen months in the cheeks. Restylane Skinboosters typically lasts six to nine months. Individual variation in how quickly the body metabolises the product also influences duration. Maintenance treatments before the product has fully broken down produce a more consistent result over time.

Restylane has one of the longest safety records of any injectable filler, having been in clinical use for over two decades. As a hyaluronic acid product, it is biocompatible and reversible with hyaluronidase. The safety profile is well established across all products in the range. As with all injectable treatments, serious complications are rare but can occur if product is placed near blood vessels, which is why choosing a qualified and experienced provider with a thorough understanding of facial anatomy is the most important safety measure. All Restylane products contain lidocaine, which improves comfort and reduces the need for additional numbing measures.