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| Restylane and Perlane | ||
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Your face changes as you age. Smoothing out wrinkles by adding volume can enhance your appearance. Even if you don't
have wrinkles, you may want rounder, fuller lips, or treatment for scars. Now, Dr. Kaplan can help you achieve this with a
longer lasting results. |
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RESTYLANE, RESTYLANE Fine Lines, and PERLANE are new products specially designed to fill in wrinkles and creases, and
add fullness to your skin. Each of these products has a unique purpose and effect. Combining these products achieves
the best results. These products are made from hyaluronic acid, a natural material, that is present in all living organisms.
In the skin, hyaluronic acid creates volume, fills in creases, eliminate wrinkes, and helps give the skin a healthy and vital
appearence. Although all three products are clear injectable hyaluronic acid gels, each one has a different particle size and
thickness, which allows individual treatments for different areas of the face and body. |
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| What Is Hyaluronic Acid? | ||
| Hyaluronic acid is found in all living organisms, and is identical in all species and tissue types. In other words, it has an identical structure whether it is found in a simple organism or in human beings. This makes it useful in many medical applications. | ||
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Hyaluronic Acid In The Skin And The Body:
Hyaluronic acid is part of the connective tissue of the skin. The elastic properties of hyaluronic acid help prevent damage
and trauma to the skin. The hyaluronic acid gel in the skin also inhibits movement of foreign particles, such as bacteria.
This helps the skin act as a barrier against infection. Hyaluronic acid also creates volume; without it, the skin would appear dry,
withered and wrinkled. When we get older, our skin cells lose their ability to produce hyaluronic acid, and the amount of hyaluronic
acid in the skin diminishes. In young people, if the skin is squeezed, it rapidly restores itself to its original fullness and shape.
But as we age, the skin’s ability to restore itself is reduced, and it takes a longer time for it to bounce back to its normal shape.
Hyaluronic acid is also found in the eyes, cartilage, bone and synovial (joint) fluid, blood vessels, and the umbilical cord. |
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| Safety | ||
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Because hyaluronic acid is identical, and therefore very compatible, in all living organisms. More importantly, however,
the hyaluronic acid in Restylane and Perlane are biosynthetically produced. No animals or animal products are used in
their manufacture. Thus, there is no risk of transmitting any diseases, or causing allergic reactions in patients who
are sensitive to common foods, such as beef, chickens and eggs. This also means that, unlike Collagen, no skin testing
is needed. And since the body has its own system for absorbing hyaluronic acid, it disappears over time without a trace.
The products are biodegradable, and will gradually be reabsorbed on their own. |
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Do I need to do a skin test? No, the results of several studies and experience from over 700,000 treatments indicates that a skin test is not necessary. Is it safe? Side effects are very rare, but about one in every 2,000 treated patients have experienced a localized allergic reaction. These reactions usually consist of swelling at the injection site, with occasional redness, tenderness, discoloration, or itching. If a reaction should occur, it usually starts within a few weeks of the injection, lasts about two weeks, and disappears on its own. There is no reported connection between patients with allergies, and patients who report a reaction to Restylane or Perlane. Can a person suffering from an autoimmune disease be treated with Restylane or Perlane? Clinical experience of treating patients with autoimmune disease is very limited, but there is no indication of an increased risk. |
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| How It Works | ||
| Top Of Page | How It Works | Pictures |
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The hyaluronic acid used in these products is stabilized. This makes it possible for Restylane and Perlane to hold their
shape and fullness, over a longer period of time. As the hyaluronic acid breaks down and is degraded, each molecule binds
more water. This means that the implant volume is maintained until the hyaluronic acid is almost fully degraded. Since the
body has its own system for absorbing hyaluronic acid, it disappears over time without a trace. What is the difference between Perlane, Restylane, and Restylane Fine Lines? The difference between the products is the size and density of the gel particles. Each of the three products are specially designed for different purposes - from eliminating tiny lines to enhancing facial contours and adding fullness to lips. Dr. Kaplan chooses the product or combination of products that best matches your needs.
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| Effectiveness | ||
Although the skin is just a few millimeters in depth, its structure is complex. The outermost layer, called the epidermis,
consists of tightly packed layers of cells in close contact, with very little space between the cells. The next deeper layer
is called the dermis. The cells in the dermis are less densely packed, with cells dispersed within a loose network of collagen
and elastic fibers, with more space between the cells. Another way to understand the different layers of the skin would be to
imagine the skin as a sweater with different tightness of weaving. The epidermis has a fine mesh or tight weave, which gradually
turns into a much coarser mesh or looser weave in the deep dermis. The density of the tissue at different levels of the skin has implications for skin implants. For best results, the particle size of the injected implant should match the density of the skin which is being injected. If small implant particles are injected into the deep dermis, they may be quickly lost from the site of injection, since they can easily pass through the loose network of the tissue in the deep dermis. Conversely, larger particles injected into the superficial dermis, where the density of the skin is is tighter, may stretch or tear the tissue, perhaps causing traumatic damage to the tissue and certainly causing uneven treatment results. Correct injection technique and choice of tissue depth affects the quality of the treatment. Each of the products differ from the others in gel particle size. Each product is best suited for injection into a specific layer of the skin. Restylane Fine Line has the smallest particles, and is intended to treat tiny wrinkles in the upper part of dermis. Perlane has the largest particles, and is intended to treat deeper wrinkles in the deep dermis. Restylane and Perlane gel particles are re-absorbed very slowly, so that the treatment results are longer lasting. As the gel breaks down, water takes its place. The less concentrated the gel becomes, the more water it is able to bind. This is why the treatments last so long. When totally absorbed the gel disappears unnoticed from the body. Depending on the results desired, an initial treatment is usually maintained with regular follow-up treatments. How long the product stays in the skin is very individual. Many factors affect how long the product lasts, such as age, skin type, lifestyle and muscle activity. Follow-up treatments normally require a smaller amount of the product. Most patients choose to have a follow-up treatment six to twelve months after the initial treatment. Clinical trials show that Restylane is effective for up to one year after the treatment of wrinkles. | ||
| How Is It Done and Does It Hurt? | ||
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When treating wrinkles or folds, the material is injected into the skin, under the wrinkle, in tiny amounts with a very thin needle.
The injected gel gives natural volume under the wrinkle, which lifts the skin and smoothes it out. A treatment takes about 30 minutes
and the results are instantaneous. There is no need for over-correction. Since these products are not of animal or human origin,
a skin test is not needed. This means that the treatment can be done immediately. Which products are recommended for treatment of the lips? Both Restylane and Perlane can be used to achieve fuller lips and a pouting look. Restylane enhances the vermilion border. Does it hurt? For wrinkle treatments no pain relief is generally necessary. If you feel you need anesthesia, topical or local anesthetic is easily arranged at your request. When enhancing the lips, a local anaesthetic is often used. |
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| What To Expect Following Treatment | ||
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What will I look like after the treatment? Immediately after the treatment you can expect slight redness, swelling, tenderness and an itching sensation in the treated area. This is a normal result of the injection. The inconvenience is temporary and generally disappears in a day or two. If the inconvenience continues or if other reactions occur, you should call Dr. Kaplan. The initial swelling after lip treatment may last longer. Some patients experience swelling for about a week and the lips can look somewhat uneven during this time. It may even take a couple of weeks for the final result to become apparent. Do I need to avoid anything after a treatment?
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| The Effects of Restylane and Perlane | ||
| Top Of Page | How It Works | Pictures |
| BEFORE | AFTER |
| Frown Lines Before And After Injection of Restylane and Perlane | |
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| Lip Lines Before And After Injection of Restylane and Perlane | |
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| Naso-labial Folds Before And After Injection of Restylane and Perlane | |
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WebMaster Shirley J Gee 
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Copyright © Stuart H. Kaplan, M.D. All rights reserved. |
dermatology, dermatologist, doctor, skin care, cosmetic, dermatologic, laser surgery, complexion, acne, pimple, wrinkle, botox, softform, collagen, restylane, perlane, power peel, chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, tattoo removal, birthmark, varicose, leg vein, sclerotherapy, cancer, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, moles, pigmentation, wart, hair loss, propecia, rogaine, psoriasis, vitiligo, lipoma, keloids, eczema, dermatitis, herpes, hives, POCKit, rosacea, ulcers, shingles, ring worm, athletes foot, jock itch, poison ivy, scabies, rash, nails, graft, lesion, tumor, fungus, yeast, freckle, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Stuart Kaplan, dermatology, dermatologist, doctor, skin care, cosmetic, dermatologic, laser surgery, complexion, acne, pimple, wrinkle, botox, softform, collagen, restylane, perlane, power peel, chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, tattoo removal, birthmark, varicose, leg vein, sclerotherapy, cancer, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, moles, pigmentation, wart, hair loss, propecia, rogaine, psoriasis, vitiligo, lipoma, keloids, eczema, dermatitis, herpes, hives, POCKit, rosacea, ulcers, shingles, ring worm, athletes foot, jock itch, poison ivy, scabies, rash, nails, graft, lesion, tumor, fungus, yeast, freckle, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Stuart Kaplan, dermatology, dermatologist, doctor, skin care, cosmetic, dermatologic, laser surgery, complexion, acne, pimple, wrinkle, botox, softform, collagen, restylane, perlane, power peel, chemical peel, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, tattoo removal, birthmark, varicose, leg vein, sclerotherapy, cancer, melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, moles, pigmentation, wart, hair loss, propecia, rogaine, psoriasis, vitiligo, lipoma, keloids, eczema, dermatitis, herpes, hives, POCKit, rosacea, ulcers, shingles, ring worm, athletes foot, jock itch, poison ivy, scabies, rash, nails, graft, lesion, tumor, fungus, yeast, freckle, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Stuart Kaplan