Omaha Dermatologists

Would Restylane Work For Blackness in Tear Trough Area? (photo)

I have what seems like thin skin in the tear trough area on the inner most part of the lower lid, which extends a few cm's down the tear trough area. There is also no flesh under the skin there. Would having restylane injections in this area help with the blackness by giving some volume or would it just lift the whole area and remain transparent with the muscle colour reflecting through the skin? Help I constantly look worn out....

Having performed thousands of injections in this area over 9 years of using Restylane, my experience is that most of the time Restylane is more useful UNDER the area you want treated than IN the area you want treated.  Additionally, there are many more problems with treating that area than you might imagine.

Generally speaking, I love the results that Restylane can produce for under the eyes, but if you have little or no 'substance' under the eyes, you are flirting with disaster.  That means that the Restylane might look odd (bluish) or it might be lumpy. 

Also, the MOST important point is that not many injectors have the skill to pull this one off right.  It is exceedingly hard to do it the right way and very easy to mess up, so if you do decide to try it, you better go to someone who is A++++ in their skillset or your next visit will be to have hyaluronidase to reverse it.  Good luck!

Joel Schlessinger, MD

Omaha Dermatologist

Why Are Restylane Injections (Undereye Hollows) So Expensive?

It's usually recommended that 2 syringes are used per eye; $1000 per syringe. Why is restylane so expensive? Is appears cheaper and more convienent to get an under eye implant atleast the results will be permanent where as with restylane you'll have to come back approximately every 6 months to 1 year for injections. Someone please help, I need undereye hollows filled but I can't afford $3000-4000 for restylane injections.

While we charge more on the line of $450 to $550 a syringe, I rarely use two syringes per eye area.  Generally, one will suffice and overdoing it will only lead to issues if you aren't satisfied.

My recommendation is to go slowly initially and see how you like it.  You can always do more in the future.  Now, if four syringes were tackling the face areas that might be understandable, but to just do the under eye hollows, that could even be too much unless you need quite a bit of correction. 

As for the implants, they have a pretty awful track record.  They don't stay in place very often and when your facial structure ages they can look odd as they have no ability to be redone as with fillers like Restylane, Juvederm or Perlane.  That makes them a challenge if you change over time (which everyone does!). 

Good luck!

Joel Schlessinger, MD

Omaha Dermatologist

Why Didn't Restylane Work In My Lips? Should I Go For Another Syringe?

I'm 22, Asian, my lips are pretty full already, but I've always wanted a larger top lip-had 1 syringe of Restylane injected last week. It really hurt. My lips looked great for two days. On the third day, I woke up and they had completed deflated. They look exactly like my natural lips. I know this because I took pics before the procedure and each day following. The doctor says I should come back for a second syringe, but will it make a difference? it really hurt and was expensive...

Restylane is very dependent upon who places it in your lips and if you have an injector who places it more on the area between your lips and nose rather than in the lips it can essentially disappear.  On the other hand, the swelling you had my have just been that - swelling.  I always have my patients look at their lips immediately after the procedure so they can see what it looks like BEFORE the swelling starts to happen as it will be distorted within minutes of the procedure and that will last for days. 

As for whether a syringe is too little or too much, that totally depends on the makeup of your lips and anatomy.  Generally speaking I divide one (1cc) syringe between the upper and lower lip and that is fine, but some folks need more, some do well with less.  I would seek a second opinion.  Good luck!

Joel Schlessinger, MD

Omaha Dermatologist