Restylane--how long before it dissolves and does it leave scars?

After the Doc injected me with Restylane 2 weeks ago I had a caterpillar-like line on my forehead which looked dreadful and much worse than my superficial line. I also have a blue-tinged swelling on my left "smile" line. He (painfully) massaged the line on my forehead, which made it a little better--but I still prefer my natural lines. He decided not to touch the side of my mouth--which was a bit bluish. I'm angry, and I may have to go back to have whatever magic injection needed to remove it. He didn't mention a reinbursement and I'm not sure as to what my rights are. He did tell me that it would eventually disappear, though. I'm so worried now that it will leave permanent damage. Will it cause the skin to form a scar around the Restylane filler if I choose to let it dissolve on its own? Thanks. Lisa

2 answers to “Restylane--how long before it...”

A: Restylane results are not permanent

Lavinia Chong, MD

Restylane is one of the hyaluronic acid fillers, which generally last between 4-6 months.  We are configured with hyaluronidase, which is an enzyme (chemical) which naturally breaks down hyaluronic acid, so these fillers will gradually be degraded over time.  This class of dermal filler can produce a... more

A: Sorry for your bad experience, but sometimes things...

Michael A. Persky, MD

Hi Lisa, Sorry for your bad experience, but sometimes things don't go exactly as planned with the injection of fillers.  The vertical forehead lines between the eyebrows are usually best treated with Botox (i.e.glabellar line, "11's"), although many of us supplement the Botox with a little... more

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