Restylane

Restylane is the trade name for a range of injectable fillers with a specific formulation of non-animal sourced hyaluronic acid (HA).
In the United States, Restylane was the first hyaluronic acid filler to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic injection into subdermal facial tissues.
Restylane is produced by Q-Med.
Medical uses.
Restylane is most commonly used for lip enhancement (volume and contouring). It is used to diminish wrinkles and aging lines of the face such as the nasolabial folds (nose to mouth lines) and melomental folds (sad mouth corners). It may also be used for filling aging-related facial hollows and "orbital troughs" (under and around the eyes), as well as for cheek volume and contouring of the chin, lips and nose.
Side effects.
A treatment with a dermal filler like Restylane can cause some temporary bruising in addition to
swelling and numbness for a few days. In rare cases there has been reports of lumps or granulomas. These side effects can be easily reversed with a treatment of hyaluronidase, which is an enzyme that speeds up the natural degradation of the injected hyaluronic acid filler.
Several studies have been done to understand the long-term side effects of restylane and other hyaluronic acid fillers. In certain cases, the filler results in a granulomatous foreign body reaction.
Even though side effects are rare Restylane should not be used in or near areas where there is or has been skin disease, inflammation or related conditions. Restylane has not been tested in pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Treatment techniques.
Most injectors inject the filler with a small needle under the skin. Numbing creams or injections decrease pain.
A new way to use Restylane was described in the August 2007 issue of the "Journal of Drugs in Dermatology" by Dutch cosmetic doctor Tom van Eijk, whose "fern pattern" injection technique aims to restore dermal elasticity rather than to fill underneath the wrinkles.