I had 2 syringes of Restylane in my cheeks several weeks ago. It looked great, now I only see a small improvement. Why?

There is always swelling after injections which can last 1-2 weeks. This is most likely your final results after the swelling has diminished. You can have a touch up with well-placed fillers (Voluma, Radiesse, Bellafill) or Sculptra.  Implants or fat would be a permanent alternative. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Did your injector photograph you. Without photographs it can be hard for some to understand the effect of the service. Don't get treatment from injectors who do not take photographs-this is below the standard of care.

The good thing about fillers is they are temporary and the results are typically modest. That is also the bad thing about fillers. This means you will see a change but it will be small. (2 syringes) 2ml is a relatively small volume for the cheeks so it is hard to appreciate the change. This can be good, as I like a subtle transition compared to some of the drastic ones out there. The swelling post procedure always exaggerates the results so that is what you were seeing and what you liked.   You need more volume. You have two options. 1 get more filler vs 2 consider fat transfer as the volume is much less limited, it is your own tissue and a portion will be permanent. Hope this helps.DrC 

There is often a significant amount of swelling after filler injections. I suspect you liked the results more when you were swollen. Adding additional filler should help you achieve the look you want. Cheeks tend to require a lot of filler volume - see your doctor to see if additional filler might help.

Thank you for your question. There is always swelling up to 2 weeks after injection. What you are seeing now is your final result after the swelling has subsided. If you are unhappy with your result you can have a touch up with more filler. I recommend discussing your concerns with your injector. Best of Luck!

The most likely answer is that this was simply not enough volume to give you the results that you wanted.  The swelling that came from the injections made things  look better than they ultimately would be.  Without having photos, its difficult to say for sure, but my experience has been that Restylane typically does not add enough volume to give the improvement in the cheeks that most people need or want. A higher volume filler like Juvederm Voluma (best) or Restylane Lyft (used to be called Perlane- good volume but not as much as Voluma) may have been a better choice.  The obvious solution would be to have more volume placed.  If you do this, I would definitely consider a different product than you had done the first time. Good luck

Now that some of the swelling has gone down, you feel that the 2 syringes have dissipated. They have not. If you are unhappy, I recommend that you speak to your doctor about your concerns. Some options for further filling might be: switching to a different filler, injecting a 3rd syringe, injecting the filler in other places. For example, it is easy to use 2 syringes of Restylane without noticing a big difference if you inject it in an area that has ample potential space, like the temples, or injecting it in non strategic areas. Fillers are expensive and need to be injected with laser precision. Of course this all assumes that you actually do need more filling. Sometimes, patients are bothered by issues that are not addressed with fillers. Fillers serve a specific role in any rejuvenation regimen, but they can't solve all problems. I love Restylane generally, so find out what can be done to make you happier with the treatment. Best!

After injection you can have some swelling but in my experience there is usually not much swelling with Restylane. It is possible that vigorous massage might have caused this. All that being said, the way you look now is how you look after any swelling has gone down. The Restylane should  not  be gone. If you used regular Restylane L , I would suggest that you use Restylane Lyft next time if being injected in cheek. It is more substantial. 

Initially, you may have seen a lot of swelling. Now that the swelling went down, if you liked the way you looked before, then consider more filler. Filler should last about 6-9 months.

Thank you for your question.  There is a considerable amount of swelling after any injection and it takes a full two weeks for the filler to settle and the swelling to subside.  With that said, Restylane is not my go-to filler to add volume in the cheeks. I prefer to use Voluma or Restylane Lyft.  These fillers are injected deep and over the bone to provide a nice lift or fullness to the cheeks.  Perhaps you should follow up with your injector for an additional evaluation. Best,Ariel Ostad MD PC