Restylane

Less is more when it comes to facial fillers

Subtlety, combined with a “less is more” philosophy, is currently on trend for rejuvenation treatments.
During the last few years figures show a definite reduction in the numbers of drastic face lift operations; and an increase in the low-key use of non-surgical fillers and gels.
Oculoplastic and aesthetic surgeon Jane Olver believes that this trend has nothing to do with the current downturn in the economy.
“On the contrary more and more people – both men and women – in their thirties and forties are investing in their appearance and revitalising their skin with Restylane and other similar hyaluronic acid gel products”, she said. “Even in times of recession people want to look good – in fact our appearance and image has never been more important in the workplace.”
In it’s almost fifteen years of existence the Restylane family of injectable treatments has been used in an estimated ten million procedures worldwide – quantities which are fast catching up with the popularity of Botox.
In the UK, hyaluronic acid (HA) gels such as Restylane have been used by oculoplastic surgeons like Jane for the past six years. Today it is also a popular weapon in the anti-aging armoury for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
“Inevitably we have developed an improved technique over time”, said Jane. “In the early days, Restylane injected for instance into the tear trough area, frequently produced disappointing results.
“The problem was an aesthetic one – it just wouldn’t have looked good -perhaps having a slightly bluish/silvery sheen and sometimes the product would shift in position. This was usually because the hyaluronic acid gel had been injected only into the tear trough and not used to build up the cheek area.”
The founder of Harley Street’s Clinica London explains her technique for revitalising the peri-orbital part of the face.
“I inject around the cheeks and peri-orbital area and then very lightly in the orbito-malar groove (tear trough). I literally sculpt the face. I see it three dimensionally and am not just looking at the tear troughs themselves. I like to gently build up the face as a whole.”
Jane also prefers to carry out her treatments in several stages.
“I like to give Restylane in staged quantities – small amounts (one mil) at a time so that it can be a walk-in lunchtime appointment where the patient can go off and be normal for the rest of the day. I never ‘over fill’- a problem that we saw often in the early days -less is definitely more!”
The skin is made up of its own hyaluronic acid and companies such as Restylane – via special cross linking and a process of synthesis – produce a stabilised gel in several densities for different uses which, when injected, stays in place restoring skin tone and youthful volume.
The length of time the results will show depends on the amount of the product used and its ‘heaviness’.
“Restylane Touch, for instance, is lighter and less long acting than its heavier sister product Perlane.
“Different types of HA are used in specific parts of the face. A heavier gel ( such as Perlane) would be injected deep in the cheek to build up cheek bones and the Malar fat pad as well as deep nasolabial folds: whereas for tear troughs and the circles under the eyes I would use a lighter product.”
Next time: Despite improved techniques and increased knowledge, not every patient is happy with the results of their hyaluronic acid treatment and chose to have it reversed.