Restylane

Restylane and Botox are two very different things. Restylane is a type of filler. There is also Juvederm, Perlane and Radiesse. Fillers are used to fill static or resting lines on the face. The most common areas where this is used are your smile lines and marionette lines. Fillers are also used to plump up your lips. Botox, on the other hand, is not a filler but an injection where the chemical temporarily relaxes the muscles from moving. It is commonly used for forehead lines, frown lines, and crow’s feet (corner of your eyes). It is also used to treat heavy under arm sweating.

There are different types of fillers for your facial lines and wrinkles. The most common type is a hyaluronic acid type (HA) filler. These include fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, and Perlane. They are similar but not identical. For example, Juvederm has a gel like consistency, which gives great results for lips and fine lines. I find that I can inject Juvederm much more superficially than Restylane or Perlane. For smile lines, called nasolabial folds, Restylane and Perlane work just as well. Radiesse is a calcium-based filler for deeper lines and wrinkles. It can also be used for augmentation purposes on the face, such as your cheeks. I prefer to inject this filler deeper than the HA type and will sometimes place an HA filler on top of it (a layering technique) for further improvement. Both men and women should get equally good results. There are more permanent and semi-permanent fillers available. I prefer not to use these types of fillers because if a patient is not satisfied with the result it takes many months to years for the filler to dissipate. Lastly, there is Sculptra. This is not necessarily a filler, but a volume enhancer. It is injected into sunken areas of the face where fat loss has occurred. It is great for temples and cheeks that have lost volume and is an excellent alternative to fat grafting. I hope this answers any questions about which filler may be right for you.