Fast facts

Restylane


What it is: A dermal filler (cosmetic injection) made of hyaluronic acid and FDA approved for treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines and lip lines. 

Restylane results last longer in facial areas that experience less motion, but generally, Restylane lasts about six months. Restylane is manufactured by U.S. pharmaceutical company Medicis Aesthetics.



 MORE INFORMATION
Question

Can Restylane injections add volume to my breasts?

I’ve read about fat injections to get bigger breasts, but what about using Restylane?


Asked by: Anonymous from Huntsville, AL

Answers (5)

Sort by: Most recent | Most helpful
1
July 22, 2008

Restylane for Breasts

Kris M. Reddy, MD
Kris M. Reddy, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

The idea to use Restylane for augmentation is a bad idea:

  • It would be cost-prohibitive.
  • It would not look natural.
  • It would be short lasting, more likely no more than 6 months.
  • While no studies have been definitively conducted, it would probably not be safe to inject that much product in such a short duration.

Consult with an experienced physician before exploring any off-label uses of a product, including Restylane.

2
May 25, 2008

Restylane injections for breast augmentation? Not a good idea.

Even if Restylane were free, it would be a bad idea to enlarge your breasts using Restylane. Restylane would almost certainly make the breasts very lumpy and the result would be temporary. Restylane is used as a dermal filler. Small or sagging breasts are not small or sagging because of problems with the skin, so you would be trying to "correct" the wrong area.

I have seen another filler called Radiesse used to create a nipple after breast reconstruction, which was done after a mastectomy for breast cancer. Other than that, dermal fillers are not appropriate for breast enhancement.

3
April 22, 2008

Restylane Injections in Breasts a Bad Idea

Restylane is a great filler for lines at rest, especially in the lower face. That’s led patients to wonder: where else can I use Restylane?

Breast augmentation with Restylane has not been properly researched and, at this time, would probably cost tens of thousands of dollars. Restylane is biodegraded in less than 1 year (at best). That means any breast augmentation would be gone after spending that money for Restylane in under one year!

Even if fillers could be used, the results would not look as natural as implants. Saline and silicone implants are medical devices that have a proven track record of effectiveness.

But wait- that’s not all! Here are some other body parts patients occasionally ask to have filled with Restylane:

  • Buttocks
  • Feet
  • Ears
  • Stretch Marks
  • Genitalia

I wish I was kidding! Obviously these areas are not FDA approved, and they have not been properly researched. I feel the results in these areas would be poor.

Bottom Line: Bad Idea.

Remember - Seek out an experienced Medical Doctor regarding Restylane and other treatments who performs his or her own injections for Best Results!

4
April 19, 2008

Restylane - Larger breasts at a price!

Restylane (and most other injectable fillers) can probably be used in the breasts as fillers even though no formal studies have been performed. Who (in their right mind) would study such a thing?

Fillers that need to be purchased can become VERY costly! Imagine adding 50mL of Restylane to each breast. It will probably last 6-9 months at a cost of around $25,000 per breast! Imagine what you could do with a "50 Grand Chest" that needs to be replaced each time you renew your auto insurance!

The "moral of this story" is... just because it CAN be done doesn't mean it is practical TO be done.

Fat is great because it is inexpensive to harvest large quantities from other areas of one's body. The technique is fairly straightforward and natural. However, nothing is easier to reproduce than standard saline or silicone implants... and we all know that they have been studied extensively (but don't even think about putting them in your lips!).

5
April 8, 2008

Restylane injections are impractical for breast augmentation

Julius W. Few, MD
Julius W. Few, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

Restylane injection for breast enhancement/enlargement has not been studied in a significant manner. It would take a large volume of Restylane or hyaluronic acid to make the breast significantly larger, making the use of Restylane too expensive to be practical for temporary breast enlargement.

The only FDA-approved way to augment the breast is with silicone or saline breast implants. Silicone or saline breast augmentation is safe, effective, and it is permanent.

Comments (1)
Riaan van Tonder, MD
Riaan van Tonder, MD
11/5/08

Hyaluronic acid can be used for breast augmentation.

Q-med (Sweden) has recently released a product called Macrolane which can be used for body contour filling, as apposed to dermal filling.

Indications would include contour defects post liposuction, breast enhancement, etc.

Write a comment

(required, shown publicly)
(required, kept private)
  • Allowed HTML tags: <p> <br> <em> <strong> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <div>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You may link to webpages through the weblinks registry

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
Enter the numbers in the image below (no spaces)
Image CAPTCHA

Comments for unregistered users are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines

Check out more Q+A about Restylane

Have a question? Ask it

IMPORTANT: As noted in our Terms of Service, the information found on RealSelf.com, including that provided by professionals in the Questions & Answers area, is a general educational aid. The Questions and Answers contain opinions and views created by community members. RealSelf.com is not responsible for the accuracy of any information posted by community members. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical or healthcare advice, or for diagnosis or treatment purposes.
  •     Cancel