When fillers became more widely available over 20 years ago, they were mostly used to treat wrinkles. Today, fillers are used to treat the cheeks, cheekbones, jawline, chin, temples, lips and more.1 Over the years, fillers with different gel consistencies have been developed to cater for all these different areas, so that healthcare practitioners can choose the right filler depending on what part of the face is being treated.
We will begin where it all started, with the filler that initiated the rapid development of filler treatments worldwide: Restylane®.
Restylane – the first non-animal filler of its kind
When Restylane was launched in 1996, it was the first of its kind on the market, a hyaluronic acid-based filler of non-animal origin.2 Before Restylane, the hyaluronic acid had been derived from animal sources, such as rooster combs. Restylane instead used hyaluronic acid from bacterial fermentation, which then became the new standard.
Fillers with different gel consistencies
The rest is history, as they say. Today, most brands use non-animal filler gels. Restylane is however still at the forefront when it comes to the development of filler gels and has one of the world’s most versatile portfolios of fillers.3
What this means is that Restylane has fillers with very different gel consistencies. Most of us can probably imagine that there is a difference between treating a tiny wrinkle and shaping a more prominent chin. But what kind of filler gel should you use where and why?
Different gels for different areas of the face
If you touch your lips with your finger, they will probably feel soft, with a bit of bounce. If you trace your chin with your finger, you will feel the bone structure underneath the skin. The skin on your chin will feel different from the thin skin under your eyes.
Different areas of the face feel different. Therefore, we may need fillers with different gel consistencies to treat these areas. Filler gel consistency matters, in other words.
Gels to lift, shape or become one with our skin?
Filler gels can be soft or firm. They can lift and shape or “become one” with our skin. It all depends on the effect we’re after. A wide variety of filler gel consistencies can help healthcare practitioners create individualized results that enhance our looks the way we want. 3,4
An overview of Restylane fillers
So, which filler should we use where? The below overview of Restylane fillers can give us an idea of how fillers with different gel consistencies can be used. However a qualified healthcare practitioner may choose to use them in another way when tailoring the treatment to each person.
Restylane® Lyft™
Restylane Lyft has a gel that is very firm with a high lifting capacity. As the name suggests it is suited to build structure and shape and to give our face a little “lift”.5-8
Restylane®
Restylane is the original filler that was launched 1996 and it’s just as good as it was then. It’s a firm filler gel with low flexibility and can therefore be used for precision treatments, for example to fill out deep wrinkles and folds.5-8
Restylane® Eyelight™
Restylane Eyelight is a firm gel that can be used to treat under-eye hollowness. You might think you should have a soft gel for the delicate under-eye area. However, you need the gel to stay in place, where it is injected, and not to float out into surrounding areas. Therefore, for under-eye treatments, firmer gels are generally preferred.9
Restylane® Defyne™
Restylane Defyne is a moderately firm and flexible filler. A typical use for this filler gel is for facial contouring and to give the face subtle definition. When contouring, a firm gel risks making the result too sharp, and a soft gel wouldn’t give the definition needed. Therefore, Restylane Defyne can be a good choice for this kind of treatment. 10-11
Restylane® Volyme™
Restylane Volyme is a moderately soft gel and is used for volumizing treatments, for example to enhance the cheeks and to give fullness to the face.1,12 To exemplify, whereas Restylane Lyft can be used to give shape to the cheekbones, Restylane Volyme will add softness to the cheeks.
Restylane® Kysse™
Restylane Kysse is a soft and flexible filler that is used to plump and smooth the lips. An interesting aspect of this filler gel is that it has been tested for its natural look and kissable feel and received a very high rating. In the study, 96% thought their lips had a natural look and 98% were satisfied with the kissability of their lips after treatment.13 So, this could be a filler for those of us who fear getting unnatural-looking lips after a lip filler treatment or lips that feel odd.
Restylane® Refyne™
Like Restylane classic, Restylane Refyne can also be used for wrinkle treatments. However this filler gel is very soft and flexible. Instead of deep wrinkles, it can be more suited to treat lines and moderate wrinkles.14-15
A qualified healthcare practitioner will choose the right filler gel
As has been mentioned above, healthcare practitioners may choose to use Restylane fillers in another way to tailor the treatment to our own needs and desires. So, make sure to choose someone who is qualified and therefore knows which filler gel to use in each individual case.
1. Talarico et al., Dermatol Surg. 2015 Dec;41(12):1361-9.; 2. Data on file (MA-39680).; 3. Data on file (MA-33939).; 4. Öhrlund A. Poster presented at AMWC 2019.; 5. Data on file (MA-33947).; 6. Weiss RA et al. Dermatol Surg 2016;42:699–709.; 7. Narins RS et al., Dermatol Surg 2011;37:644–650.; 8. Data on file (MA-39364).; 9. A.Nikolis et al. Aesthet Surg J. 2022 Feb 15;42(3):285-297.; 10. Restylane Defyne EU IFU. 2020.; 11. Ascher B et al. Dermatol Surg. 2017;43:389–395.; 12. Nikolis A, et al. Aesthet Surg J. 2020; 26:S10–S17; 13. Nikolis A., Bertucci V., Solish N.Poster presented at IMCAS, France, Feb 2020.; 14. Lundgren B et al. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17:982–986.; 15. Data on file (MA-43049).