Is Prolonged Use of Restylane Safe?

Question

I'm talking about 10-15 years down the line. I have heard from an expert user of this product that as fillers dissipate they can leave the skin looking unhealthy and crepey where it was previously OK as the fillers stretch, puff and traumatize it. This judgment was based on personal experience, not theory. Has anyone ever heard or seen this? Any doctors ever seen this happening gradually over long time patients? Thank you!

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

many of my patients who have continued their fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm have had occasions where they were not able to come back for more than a year and I have never seen stretched out saggy or wrinkled skin worse than baseline before the first filler was ever injected.

Lorrie Klein, MD · Answer

Your "expert" doesn't sound like a true expert with fillers. In fact, this is the first time I have ever heard anyone make this comment.   I have been injecting fillers for 20 years and between my experience, that of my colleagues (see Dr. Lupo's answer above) and all of the research that has been done, I can tell you without a doubt that fillers will not make the skin look crepey or unhealthy, only sun damage or perhaps normal aging will do that.

Scott Trimas, MD · Answer

Hyaluronic acid fillers like restylane and juvederm are actually very safe products since hyaluronic acid is normally found in your skin between cells and also in your knee and elbow joints. Recent studies have actually shown that repeated injections of hyaluronic acid actually can last up to 18 months or more. In fact, I have seen in some patients that after several years of injections they actually need less product down the road so there may be some positive building up of one's own collagen. I hope this information helps.

Peter A. Aldea, MD · Answer

"An expert is a person who avoids the small errors while sweeping on to the grand fallacy". This expert is wrong. All studies have shown that Restylane is completely safe to use both in the short and long run.

Hassan Galadari, MD · Answer

A number of reasons for this exist.

	The first is that a University of Michigan study did show that the Restylane does indeed stretch the fibroblasts, causing a mechanism in which the cells start producing collagen on their own. Thus the effect does last longer.

	The second study showed that of the Restylane is injected 4 months after the first injection, its effect lasts longer.

	Another most important reason why repeated injections are important is that when injected in the skin, this "trauma" that is mentioned triggers a response that makes the body make its own collagen. This has been translated in Europe by the injection of Restylane Vital or the mesotherapy version of the product, which has a tremendous effect in hydration of the superficial skin and giving a supplness to the skin. Whether it is the material that causes this or the effect of the superficial injections still remains to be seen.

Is Prolonged Use of Restylane Safe?

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Answer: Restylane is SAFE

Answer: Restylane is SAFE

Answer: Definitely a plus with each treatment

Answer: Definitely a plus with each treatment

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Everything you need to know about Restylane

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Is Prolonged Use of Restylane Safe?

Answers (8)

Answer: Restylane is SAFE

Answer: Restylane is SAFE

Answer: Definitely a plus with each treatment

Answer: Definitely a plus with each treatment

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Restylane

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.