This post is sponsored by Restylane® Silk. However, the thoughts and opinions are my own.
When it comes to the topic of getting fillers, I’ve found there to be 3 distinct camps people generally fall into: Those who want to embrace every laugh line, those who proudly talk about the work they’ve had done (or plan to have done) and those who secretly lie somewhere in between– if they choose to get a little nip/tuck, we’ll probably never know.
In my opinion, as long as you’re happy and feel beautiful it doesn’t matter which camp you’re in.
And since we are all friends here, I will share that for me, personally? I definitely fall into camp #2, and am open with the fact that I see fillers in my future.
Which areas will be filled and when is still up in the air, but as my skin changes and the fine lines start to pop up, I find myself increasingly curious and diligently researching options.
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend a brunch with Galderma® to learn about their newest lip filler, Restylane Silk®– the first and only FDA-approved product designed especially for lip enhancement and the smoothing of wrinkles around the mouth.
Admittedly, before going into this brunch, I had not thought a whole lot about lip fillers specifically, but the presentation given by board certified dermatologist, Dr. Paredo was eye opening, you guys!
And so for my friends in camps 2 and 3, I brought back some fun facts, both about this filler and about lip filling in general.
Don’t worry camp #3 friends, I won’t tell anyone you read this– your secret is safe with me.
The Space Between
Did you know that the space between the bottom of your nose and top lip increases with age?
As we age, our lips thin, lost shape, and show an increase in vertical lines above the lip. You may not have ever noticed this before (I know I hadn’t) but it is actually a pretty significant sign of aging.
In addition to showing us some photos of women at various ages of life, at the brunch they were filling the lips of a mother and daughter.
Before they started the filling process, they measured this area on both and the space between this area was undeniable.
Caring For Cupid’s Bow
Dr. Paredo stressed how lip injections are actually one of the most difficult fillers to get right, so it is important to do your research and always choose a board certified doctor.One of the biggest fears about getting lip fillers is ending up with “duck lips”– which is the result of either over filled lips or misplaced injections.
Ideally, when getting your lips filled, it important to try to keep your natural top and bottom lip ratio while respecting “cupid’s bow” (the curve in your upper lip).
At the brunch, Dr. Paredo talked about how a lip augmentation is truly successful when the Dr. is able to increase the lip’s volume without losing “cupid’s bow”, because when it is lost (or overfilled) that is when it can leave you with the appearance of the infamous “duck lips”.
Choosing your filler + the benefits of Restylane Silk®
Choosing your filler is very important. Some fillers can leave people with an un-natural, very firm feeling lip– which is definitely not ideal.
Restylane Silk® is a clear gel formulation of hyaluronic acid — a sugar that is naturally present in your skin. This filler was designed specifically to provide natural-looking results by using smaller, smoother particles than those used in other Restylane® products.
These two beauties are friends of mine and both had Restylane Silk® injections.
A clinical study showed 76% of patients who used Restylane® still had lip improvement six months following injection. Jill on the left is a perfect example of that, as she had her treatment a few months prior to the event and still had full lips!
Pain, Swelling and Bruising
One thing to note is that Restylane Silk® is injected after applying Lidocaine which significantly decreases any injection pain involved. The women who had the treatments done in front of us all agreed, the pain was minimal.
As for post-treatment side effects, while not everyone will have the same experience, there is always the possibility of swelling, pain, and bruising. That being said, these side effects are usually mild.
One woman that I met in the elevator on the way to the brunch had treatments the day before, and while she said she experienced some initial swelling, her lips looked perfectly fine to me the very next day!
The cost of Restylane Silk®
The cost of these treatments range from $350-$500 per syringe.
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Tell me, would you ever consider getting lip injections?
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Important Safety Information
Indications: The Restylane family of products includes Restylane®, Restylane-L®, Restylane® Silk, Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine, and Perlane®. Restylane, Restylane-L, Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, and Perlane are indicated for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. Restylane and Restylane–L are indicated for mid-to-deep dermal implantation. Perlane and Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine are indicated for implantation into the deep dermis to superficial subcutis. Restylane Silk is indicated for submucosal implantation for lip augmentation and dermal implantation for correction of perioral rhytids in patients over the age of 21. Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine is also indicated for cheek augmentation and for the correction of age-related midface contour deficiencies in patients over the age of 21. Restylane and Restylane-L are also indicated for submucosal implantation for lip augmentation in patients over the age of 21.
Products in the Restylane family contain traces of gram-positive bacterial protein and are contraindicated for patients with allergies to such material or in patients with severe allergies that have required in-hospital treatment. These products should not be used by patients with bleeding disorders or by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Restylane and Restylane-L for lip enhancement and Restylane Silk should not be used by people under 22 years. Restylane-L, Restylane Silk and Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine should not be used by anyone with a known allergy to lidocaine. Products should not be injected anywhere except the dermis, superficial subcutis (Perlane and Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine only), or lip submucosa (Restylane, Restylane-L, and Restylane Silk only).
Use of products in the Restylane family at the site of skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infection should be postponed until healing is complete. The most commonly observed side effects are swelling, redness, pain, bruising, headache, tenderness, and itching at the injection site. These are typically mild in severity and typically resolve in less than 7 days. Serious but rare side effects include delayed onset infections, recurrence of herpetic eruptions, and superficial necrosis at the injection site. Do not implant into blood vessels. Use with caution in patients recently treated with anticoagulant or platelet inhibitors to avoid bleeding and bruising.
The Restylane family of products is available only through a licensed practitioner. Complete Instructions for Use for Restylane, Restylane-L, Restylane Silk, and Perlane are available at www.RestylaneUSA.com. Complete Instructions for Use for Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine is available at www.RestylaneLyft.com
