Restylane is manufactured by Q-Med and launched in 1996 for the UK market. It is believed to be one of the most popular brands in the UK with most practitioners approving its use in treating patients with different medical conditions of the face. It therefore stands out as one of the most popular dermal fillers in the UK market.

Since its introduction into the market, it has been used by millions of people across the world with additional product range formulations developed with different sizes of the gel particles specifically for use in some areas of the face. Restylane® Lidocaine and Restylane® Perlane are available as of 2009 with an additional 0.3 percent lidocaine. It is generically a non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid gel (NASHA) and is made through the process of streptococci bacteria fermentation and does not require any tests before treatment is administered.

The hyaluronic acid, once the substance is injected into the body; breaks down gradually finally leaving the treated area with no left trace of the filler-implying that the product is temporary in application and so can only last for some limited amount of time. The main product ranges are:

• Restylane
• Perlane
• Touch

Restylane works best when injected into the middle skin layer which is also the middle layer of the dermis and is used for lip enhancement and also treatment of moderate wrinkles; enabled by the presence of intermediate sized gel particles.

Perlane is large in gel particle composition and is suitable for facial contouring, lip enhancement and deep lines. It is advisable to inject it into the deep layer of the skin.

Touch is the smallest of all in terms of particle size and is best for very thin superficial lines, with injections right into the upper section of the dermis. Other formulations in the Restylane range include Lipp, SubQ, Vital and Vital Light which is targeted at treatment areas like the neck, face, the area between the neck and breasts (decotellage) and hands.

The hyaluronic acid that is lost due to ageing can be replaced by application of this range formulation. The duration for Restylane lasts for a few months depending on the practitioner, type, amount and area of administration.

Restylane is not used during pregnancy and have minimal side effects other than some bruising and mild swelling after the procedure. All the product ranges cannot be used for patients with known conditions of hypersensitivity towards hyaluronic acid.

More information on the Restylane website