According to Dr. J.S. Dover and colleagues, Restylane fillers are currently used to reduce variety of wrinkles and lines in more than 60 countries. Their study, published in the "Advances in Dermatologic Surgery" in February 2005, reported that this non-animal source hyaluronic acid filler has been available in Europe since 1996 and was approved in the US in December 2003 for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds. Restylane is a jelly-like substance that is typically well tolerated by patients, and the allergic reactions are rare.
Minor Pain During the Procedure
According to Dr. J.S. Dover and colleagues, many patients report slight discomfort when the Restylane injections are given. This is especially true when the injection site is the sensitive area around the eyes. That is why local anesthesia can be given approximately half an hour prior to the procedure to ease the minor pains associated with the injections.
Side Effects
According to the Dermnetnz.org, the most common Restylane side effect is bruising, which is reported by approximately 20 percent of the patients. Other common side effects include swelling, redness, discoloration and pain at the injection site. Some patients get an infection or cold sore at the injection site. These reactions most often disappear within three to four days and are less serious when the Restylane is injected around eyes than around the lip area. The most severe reactions can be reduced by avoiding blood vessels and gaining a greater understanding of the anatomy of the around the eye area.
Allergic Reactions
Allergic and inflammatory reactions to Restylane are rare. Dr. P. M. Friedman and colleagues reported in the "Dermatological Surgery Journal" in June 2002 that from an estimated of 144,000 patients treated in with Restylane, one out of every 1,400 patients had localized hypersensitivity reactions to this injectable hyaluronic acid. Often times, these reactions were caused by Restylane filler reacting together with contaminants and most likely secondary to impurities of bacterial infections. Moreover, most severe allergic reactions had been reported prior to 2000, when the amounts of contaminants in the products were greater. According to the DermatologyColorado.com, Restylane injections should not be given to patients who have had severe allergies to Gram-positive bacterial proteins or hypersensitivity to the injection of a drug or protein.
References
- "Advances in Dermatologic Surgery Journal"; Clinical Use of Restylane; S. Dover, A. Carruthers, J. Carruthers, M.Alam; February 2005
- Dermnetnz.org: Hyaluronic Acid Implants
- "Dermatol Surgery Journal"; Safety Data of Injectable Nonanimal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid Gel for Soft Tissue Augmentation; P.M. Friedman et al.; June 2002
- DermatologyColorado.com: Restylane
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