If it works like the Restylane company says it does, then Restylane for wrinkles around the mouth may be a useful alternative to surgery or other wrinkle reducing methods.
What is Restylane
Restylane is touted by the Restylane company as a "natural cosmetic dermal filler" that can actually correct wrinkles in problem areas in addition to fighting them off. Besides wrinkles, Restylane is supposed to fight fine lines and folds. The types of folds Restylane claims to target are "Nasolabial Folds," or the ridges that some people have from the base of their nose to the corners of their mouth.
Restylane contains mainly hyaluronic acid in a gel format called NASHA. All NASHA means is that the hyaluronic acid does not come from animals. Hyaluronic acid properties are discussed more below under the subtitle 'Safety of Restylane.' Restylane is injected so you will obviously be working with a doctor if this treatment sounds like what you're looking for.
Why Does Restylane for Wrinkles Around the Mouth Work
Restylane works to reduce the look of wrinkles because injecting it into the skin replenishes the fluid qualities of skin, thereby adding fullness and plumping out lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid (or NASHA) binds to the already present water in skin tissue, holds its firming shape, and supposedly builds up over time. This means fewer treatments may be needed later on to achieve the same initial results. Restylane for puffy eyes has also been shown to be very effective.
Restylane treatments have been shown to last from four to six months and treatments are usually personalized for an individual. In other words, how Restylane works for your best friend is not indicative of how it may work for you. Because of the personalization of Restylane, costs vary significantly - although because it does last a decent amount of time, that reduces cost overall. Your doctor will discuss treatment schedules and associated costs with you. Also good to note: both men and women can use Restylane.
Safety of Restylane
Restylane is composed of hyaluronic acid which the Restylane company proposes is a perfectly safe form of treatment for skin. Because of hyaluronic acid's safety, natural qualities and profile, it does seem like it would assure that Restylane for wrinkles around the mouth would work successfully.
Hyaluronic acid is already present in an individual's body, even without using Restylane. It's found in tissues such as skin and cartilage but can deplete over time. Hyaluronic acid contributes to cell proliferation and migration, which may explain how Restylane could solve wrinkle issues. Healthy skin cells do proliferate.
Another way to make sense of the safety of hyaluronic acid is to look at its application of use for osteoarthritis. Individuals who experience this problem sometimes receive treatments that consist of injections of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint. It's thought that it can be successful with re-lubricating the joint, thereby relieving symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Research about this treatment is somewhat inconclusive and some doctors feel that injections are not as good of an option as actual surgery, but it's how it works that makes sense of how Restylane might help someone with wrinkles.
FDA Approval of Restylane
Restylane was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003 for cosmetic uses such as filling in what they refer to as tissue defects and what normal people may call simply wrinkles. The FDA offers few studies about Restylane, but notes that most were conducted by the Restylane people themselves. That's a little unsettling but as discussed above, Restylane is a natural substance and probably does have few side effects. It has been reported that more studies on the safety of Restylane for non-Caucasians are needed and the company professes to be working on that.
Overall reports of side effects for this treatment are few and far between - a big bonus because facial corrective surgery and many other treatments have numerous side effects, some of them very dangerous.
Where to Find Restylane
You can visit the Restylane website or talk to your doctor about Restylane treatments.
Real Women Reviews
One interesting thing you can do before deciding about using Restylane for wrinkles around the mouth is read some real people reviews. You'll find that about half of the individuals think it works great while the other half feel differently. It may not help you completely decide, but it's worth looking at to get some opinions.
And don't forget - beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Most of us earn our age - wrinkles and all. Make sure you consider everything before taking the Restylane leap.
