Restylane Injection and Structural Fat Grafting

Blue Water Spa Serves Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham, Cary, and Surrounding Areas

Collagen, Restylane, and Fat Injections

Common signs of facial aging include thinning of the lips, deepening of the nasolabial folds (a crease from the outer side of the nostril to the corner of the mouth), and the development of ‘marionette’ lines (running vertically downward from the corners of the mouth). These features can, in many cases, be instantly and dramatically improved by the injection of soft tissue filling materials such as Restylane. The injection of Restylane can also improve some depressed scars and other soft tissue abnormalities

Many practitioners use bovine collagen for soft tissue augmentation, which is derived from the skin of cows. Because some people are allergic to this product, a pre-treatment skin test is required which involves six weeks of observation to determine if an inflammatory reaction develops. We are now using Restylane, a hyaluronic acid product. There is essentially no risk of an allergic reaction to Restylane.

These injections take place in our medical office and require just a few minutes to perform. Most injections can be performed with little or no pain by administration of local anesthesia just prior to the Restylane injection. Injection of the lips is usually completely painless, using intra-oral anesthesia that produces total numbness of the lips.

The aesthetic improvement is immediate, and in general I will attempt to slightly overfill the lips and overcorrect lines and folds, so that the desired effect remains once the mild initial swelling subsides (in about 24 hours). The goal is an aesthetic improvement that appears natural.

The duration of the improvement varies from patient to patient, averaging about six months.

Many patients that enjoy their Restylane treatments become interested in permanent soft tissue augmentation. For these patients I perform structural fat grafting, using autologous (the patient’s own) fat. Using specialized instrumentation and technique, structural fat grafting can produce permanent improvements in facial contours.

Know what is being administered!
A number of other products are available as soft tissue fillers, but many are as yet inadequately tested, and others have been found in some cases to produce disastrous and permanently disfiguring results, such as silicone. Remember, when undergoing the injection of a soft tissue filler, be sure that your doctor can explain to you what the substance is, why he or she has chosen it, and what side effects and potential complications can occur.

Learn more about Restylane here.

Blue Water Spa provides services in all areas of aesthetics, including Restylane
injection. If you are interested in options to resotre a youthful appearance,
contact us today to schedule a consultation.