Can the Doctor Test Us Beforehand to Make Sure We Are Not Allergic to Restylane?

All good feedback from panel members.  As thoroughly stated, there is no reason or indication for an allergy test prior to treatment with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers.  

However, if you believe that this would offer you more peace of mind, then moving forward with this is not unreasonable if you pay for the product and the practitioner's time to render the test.  Keep in mind that you will need to absorb the cost of the syringe (whether half or full syringe) once it is used on you regardless of whether or not you move forward with a complete treatment.

Since Restylane and Juvederm are made of hyaluronic acid, a substance found in all animals (including humans) we theoretically cannot be allergic to it.  Reactions to other products that contain collagen have been reported and therefore skin tests are used for Artefill and the older collagen products Zyplast and Zyderm, but not for hyaluronic acid products.  

Allergies to the original bovine collagen filler was about 10%.  For this reason routine allergy testing was essential.  The incidence  of allergy to Restylane is so rare (stated to be less than 1% but seems to be 1 in 1000 or less in my experience) that routine testing is not felt to be necessary.

If you feel you must be tested, be prepared to pay for this request.  The smallest volume of Restylane in a unit package is 0.4 ml.  This product can be used as a skin test.  What about having the doctor store this open syringe for your use a couple weeks later if you do not react?  I would no recommend this.  Once the syringe has been put into use, the sterility of the product is compromised.

Restylane is a dermal filler composed of Hyaluronic Acid, a nature substance already found in our body. The function of Hyaluronic Acid in the skin is to bind water, giving the skin its plumpness. Because this is a natural substance that is already part of the skin, it is extremely rare to be "allergic" to it. There is therefore no need to perform an allergy test prior to having Restylane.

Older fillers were derived from other materials, where an allergic reaction was possible. Many of these older fillers are infrequently or no longer used.

Other reactions to Hyaluronic Acid fillers are extremely rare and unpredictable. I published a paper in the October 2009 edition of the journal Dermatologic Surgery describing a patient that had one of these reaction to Restylane. We gave the patient with Restylane again, after they had the reaction, and nothing happened. This proved that there was no "allergy" to Restylane, but something else was responsible for the first reaction.

Allergy testing for restylane and juvederm is extremely rare. Therefore, it is not necessary. The package insert from the FDA does not recommend it.