Restylane ®

Restylane ® is a safe and natural cosmetic dermal filler that restores volume and fullness to the skin to correct facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. It is also an excellent lip enhancement filler. Dr. Klein is credited with pioneering collagen lip injections in 1984.

Dr. Klein injects fillers not just in and along the lips but also from the jaw line to the mouth to create, he says, "flying buttresses that support the lip." His procedure takes 45 minutes on average, and he advises patients to be wary of doctors who allot much less time than that.

He also warns patients to stay away from permanent fillers—silicone, for example, or Artecoll and Aquamid, gels that contain microscopic plastic beads—that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved as lip plumpers. His preferred fillers are those that last only six months (i.e. Restylane).

Restylane is a cosmetic dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that already exists in the human body. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane is a crystal-clear gel called NASHA™ or Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. NASHA is completely biocompatible with human hyaluronic acid.

Restylane maintains its shape using the body's own moisture. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane is hydrophilic or "water loving." As hyaluronic acid gradually degrades, each molecule binds to more water and over time, the same volume can be maintained with less hyaluronic acid. This ability of hyaluronic acid to bind to water is what helps Restylane provide lasting results.