Dermal fillers are a pretty straightforward concept. Take a substance and inject it beneath a wrinkle, pushing the skin back up and removing the wrinkle. In other words, fill that wrinkle in, hence the name. Some fillers use naturally occurring hyaluronic acid to bind with water and plump up the area. Others use synthetic substances such as calcium microspheres to add supporting structure.
Fillers aren’t a new concept. It is thought that German physician Franz Neuber was the first doctor to use fillers. Neuber used a patient’s autologous fat taken from other areas of the body to fill out depressed facial defects. That was way back in the late 19th century!
Today it seems a new filler comes to the market every few months. Patients can get confused about which filler does what. It’s important to note that fillers aren’t general purpose, but are formulated to target certain issues such as volume loss or wrinkles and creases.
At Dr. Lavey’s we are big fans of Restylane and Perlane. Both are made by the same company, QMed. And both are hyaluronic acid fillers. But they aren’t intended for the same usage.
Here’s the difference between the two.
Perlane
Perlane is three times thicker than Restylane. Because it is thicker, Perlane can potentially be seen under the skin after it is injected. So, Perlane needs to have fat in the injection sites to help hide the filler. Its thickness makes Perlane effective for adding volume to the cheeks, chin, and nasolabial folds. Perlane is designed for moderate to severe folds. And its results last around 18 months.
Restylane
Restylane has been used much more than Perlane: it has been injected over 11 million times. As mentioned above, it is much thinner in consistency than Perlane. This allows Restylane to flow and spread out when injected. This makes it effective for defining the lip edges or filling the hollows under the eyes. Restylane works well in areas with thinner skin. Restylane results last about one year.
Now you know the difference between Restylane and Perlane. Could they help you turn back the clock on aging? Call Dr. Lavey at 925-820-3633 to make an appointment or ask any questions.
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