Dermal fillers are rapidly increasing their share of the non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Why? They work very well on diminishing wrinkles and filling in areas that have lost volume. They are affordable. And there is no downtime.
What’s not to like? Really, the only downside of fillers is that their results aren’t permanent or at least longer lasting. But the flipside of that is patients can use fillers to try out a look or a change, without committing to permanent surgery.
Two or our most popular fillers at Esta Kronberg are Restylane and Perlane. Interestingly, both of these fillers are hyaluronic acid based and both are manufactured by QMed. So, there can be some confusion about the difference between the two.
First off, the similarity between the two. Both are hyaluronic acid fillers. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that is responsible for hydrating and plumping the skin. It attracts and binds with water molecules at the injection sites, plumping the skin to remove wrinkles or add volume.
Now the differences.
Perlane is thick, three times thicker than Restylane. This is because Perlane is meant to add volume. It’s not a subtle operator. Perlane is designed to target moderate to severe facial folds. These are areas such as the cheeks, nasolabial folds, and the chin. Because of its thickness, areas where Perlane is injected need to have fat present to hide the presence of the filler. Perlane is not to be used in delicate areas, as its presence will show.
Restylane, on the other hand, is thin and it flows away from the injection site just a bit to allow wider use. Restylane is meant for areas where the skin is thinner, such as the hollows under the eyes and areas around the lips.
So, the reality is that these two popular fillers at our practice are actually meant for very different roles. Ask us how we can put Perlane and Restylane to work addressing your facial aging issues.
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