Question –
How good is Restylane Silk? I know it is a filler. What makes it better than all the others?
Answer –
What is Restylane Silk? It is a new form of Restylane and is a clear gel made of hyaluronic acid. This acid is found in our skin and joints. The FDA specifically approved Restylane Silk for people over age 21 looking for subtle lip enhancement and smoothing of the wrinkles and lines around the mouth.
What makes Restylane Silk better than other fillers around the mouth?
The lines around the mouth are one of the hardest to treat. Phenol peels smooth the lines, but permanently blanch the skin. Lip implants don’t improve the lines and can feel unnatural. Botox smooths the lines, but too much makes the lip droop. The ultra-soft filler Belotero only lasts a few weeks and up to a few months if you are lucky. The firmer gels, Restylane and Juvederm can look hard and unnatural and may even leave visible lines on occassion.
So, enter Restylane Silk. It can be directly injected into the skin without leaving lines. If injected into the pink lip, the result is a soft, natural look. We tried Restylane Silk on one of our staff. Her verdict, “It’s subtle. Definitely subtle. But it left no lines or lumps, and I am happy with it. I would get it again.”
How long will Restylane Silk last? Here is the FDA data:
98% of patients had improvement at 2 weeks, but only 77% of patients had improvement at eight weeks – so in 21%, results were temporary.
At 6 months, almost all of these 77% had visible improvement and overall 59% still had their original results.
So results vary – some people absorb filler faster than others. Restylane Silk is ideal if you have thin lips, want a subtle result and know that for the majority of women, it will last at least 6 months.
Can everyone have Restylane Silk? Yes unless you are allergic to lidocaine, have had medication allergies that landed you in hospital or if you are allergic to gram-postive bacteria.
Are there any side-effects: Swelling, bruising and soreness can occur during and after injection.
For a natural result, no more than 1.5 cc is injected into each lip and no more than 1.0 cc into the lines around the mouth.
Who makes the product? It is manufactured by Galderma – a skin product company founded by Neslte and L’Oreal, but now wholly owned by Nestle. In the USA Restylane Silk is distributed through Valeant.