Help! Too Much Restylane in my Nasolabial Folds

First off...don't freak out! That will only raise your blood pressure causing the blood vessels in your skin to fill with more blood and draw more heat to the surface of your face. The reason I mention this is due to the fact that Restylane attracts water and the warmer the surface of your skin is the more likely it is to react and hold water (this natural activity cools down the blood vessels). The end result is that the Restylane in the nasal labial folds will draw from this supply, causing the injected area to appear significantly overfilled. Try ice packs and relax . . . I can tell by the tone of your question that this may be a sensative subject at home, but trust that this is not an unlikely reaction to a follow-up fill!
It's OK to massage - but make sure you have cooled down the NLF's first. Good luck - It will settle down quite a bit in the next couple days.

Hi @legna. I recommend waiting two weeks for swelling to subside. If you are still unhappy after two weeks, the filler called be dissolved with Hyaluronidase. Best of luck, Dr. Nima!

Swelling after having a Restylane treatment is very common, especially within the first few days. It can continue to reduce in swelling over the next couple of weeks. It is fine to massage the area, but over time, the swelling should subside on its own and the area should look less full. If you still do not like the look after allowing ample time for the swelling to subside, see your injector. There are ways to dissolve the filler with hyaluronidase, but normally this is not necessary.

If the treatment was performed just today, then I would suggest you avoid touching or massaging the area unless it was advised by your injector to do so. This is because product can be displaced. At this time, you are probably affected by swelling, and the massaging may make it worse. Please wait 2 weeks or so and if the swelling hasn’t subsided by that time and you don’t see the results you want, return to your injector for a follow-up.

The most likely cause of your problem is severe
swelling. This type of swelling is not
unusual immediately following Restylane injections. In most cases, it resolves in 24 hours, but
may persist for up to 3 to 5 days in rare cases.Swelling
following treatment with Restylane can be a major sources of anxiety for
cosmetic surgery patients.It’s
important to remember that swelling resolves with the passage of time and the
majority of patients are ultimately happy with their result.Ice
compresses prior to and after injections can help minimize swelling following
these procedures.When patients have
important events in their lives, Restylane injections should be performed at
least two weeks in advance.When
nasolabial fullness persist beyond two weeks, other causes should be
considered.Under these circumstances,
excess Restylane may be the cause.When
this situation arises, Restylane can be removed by injecting the enzyme
hyaluronidase.If
you’re concerned about nasolabial fullness following Restylane injections, it’s
important to discuss the issue with your physician. Your physician should be
able to formulate a treatment plan that addresses your concerns.

In this situation, we suggest waiting a week to see if the issue is swelling or too much product. We know that you are in a hurry to solve the issue, but you will not know the answer to the question about what's causing the look until you wait a week or so.
If you decided to go with a reversal (using Hyaluronidase), you might get rid of the product but still have the swelling (sorry!).

Hi legna,
Hopefully by the time you read this your problem has resolved.  If not, excess Restylane can be dissolved with Widase, a hyaluronidase injection.  Hopefully you are better, and your husband is not a RealSelf.com reader.  Good luck and be well.
Dr. P

Restylane can end up having some swelling initially, so this is probably going to be just fine. You can sometimes 'massage' it after the procedure, but I wouldn't do this prior to a week or two and usually it is best to go to your doctor that did the procedure for any follow up massage of the area.
Lastly, there is a product called hyaluronidase that can dissolve restylane if it is too much, but in 5 years of doing this filler I have never needed to do this for a patient so it is unlikely that you will need to as well.

It could be swelling which could take up to two weeks to resolve. Use ice packs, keep your head elevated, and consider the supplements arnica and bromelain to help minimize bruising and swelling. You can get the product dissolved with hyaluronidase if you feel there is too much.

I am sorry to hear about your negative experience. While swelling is possible, the physician could have overinjected. Wait for a couple of days if possible to see if swelling subsides. To correct overinjection, hyaluronidase can be used.