Restylane Didn't Work - Bad Doctor or Bad Product? - Westlake, OH

I am 36 with a few fine lines. I have been doing research for years and finally worked up the nerve to get fillers. I had no success with Radiesse (done by a nurse) and it was recommended that I try Restylane (because Radiesse is not injected in the crease and I wanted something injected in the actual wrinkle itself, not around the wrinkle), so I went to a plastic surgeon this time. I had 0.5 of Restylane-L in my naso folds, corners of mouth, and chin indent. I was first injected on the inside of my mouth with a numbing agent - these injections were very painful and did not work - I was never numb around the mouth, the Restylane injections were very painful there (by the time the entire procedure was done, I was light-headed and felt out of it). Maybe I needed more time to numb because I did not feel the injections in the folds. But I'm not sure that I was ever injected there, although that was my primary reason for going, those lines bother me the most (besides the forhead wrinkles, but I know from experience that Dysport gets rid of those). In fact, when he was done I asked him if ever injected my folds and he said he did, but I know that he did NOT go all the way up to the nose - he left like 75% of the wrinkle untouched. I know this because I could still feel the needle going in, it just didn't hurt, and the needle was only injected at the bottom of the folds.

Also, this plastic surgeon took pictures AFTER the procedure, but not before. And he never answered a question with a simple yes or no. It was like every response had to be deciphered to understand it, I finally had to resort to asking him whether he meant yes or a no. I also found it odd that he never gave me any after-care instructions, but maybe that's because he knew I was experienced with fillers (although he knew that was my first time with Restylane).

After three days, the swelling went down BUT there was NO visible improvement. I had a worm like line, or ridge along one side, and it wasn't even in the wrinkle, it was next to the wrinkle. (This ridge was about 25% as long as the wrinkle, which is also why I believe that he never injected the entire fold.) Before I left the office, the doctor had told me that I could do my own manipulation if needed or go back into his office for that, so I massaged that for a few days and it went down to where it is no longer visible but can still be felt. I also a similar line one one side of the chin indent while the other side had bruising. I massaged the chin, but instead of the ridge going down, the line actually scabbed up - I am sure some of the filler came out. However, I now have a small ridge/worm on this side of the chin indent and in certainly light I can see it. It also seems that the chin indent was only injected on the sides, not the middle, which is what I didn't like about Radiesse. Why isn't the whole line and/or the middle of the line injected? I don't understand that.

Anyway, I called the doctor's office after one week and said that my face looked exactly the same. When I went back to see him that same day, he told me that my fine lines would never improve, that he had tried but not to waste my money. He said I did not need any more filler injected and that he would not give me anymore, something about how my lines are too superficial. He said that I could wait until my lines got deeper and then inject them with filler to get them up to where they are now. Or I could try microdermabrasion or laser. I asked him if getting fillers going forward would prevent the wrinkles from getting worse and he said no. He also looked at my AFTER picture and said that it was hard to compare because I'm smiling slightly. (He must have forgotten that he never took a before shot.)

I was practically speechless and very close to breaking down in tears and anger - I don't know what was upsetting me more, the fact that he didn't tell me all this BEFORE he took my money or the thought that I am 36 and may not be able to improve my fine lines. How could this be, I see 50 year old women (including the nurse that had previously injected me with Radiesse AND this surgeon's own receptionist) who have NO lines on their face whatsoever - how can I be stuck with no hope for improvement? He said that there are NO fillers on the market that would help me. I asked him celebrities get rid of their lines with fillers, and he actually made fun of me - then he took out the Restylane brochure and proceeded to try and show me how the model on the cover has lines around and above her mouth. Well, I could not see them - that model has NO lines anywhere on her face!

Also, he injected my forehead with 100 of Dysport ($450), and he used more than I've ever had in the past, but I cannot feel it (my forehead doesn't feel heavy like it normally does) and the wrinkles did not improve as much as they normally do. I told him that I am used to seeing better improvement and that I didn't feel the heaviness in my forehead like I normally do. He asked me to raise my eyebrows and then said that he can tell the product was working and that I didn't need anymore! Then he basically ushered me out of his office before I could protest or demand a refund. I was in utter shock.

In total, I wasted $700. I am not sure if the problem was the doctor's technique (i.e., that he injected the product improperly) or that he just didn't use enough - or whether the the issue is product quality (i.e., it's worthless/waste of money) - or, worse yet, that I'm just stuck with these fine lines.