Wrinkle Treatment Process

Moderate to severe facial wrinkles & folds treatment procedure

What to expect and how to prepare

Treatment with a product from the Restylane® family typically takes less than one hour (individual treatment times may vary). Generally, there is little to no downtime associated with treatment using the Restylane family of products.

  • Talk to your healthcare professional about options to make you as comfortable as possible during the procedure, including Restylane-L®, Perlane-L®, and pain medication.
  • Your healthcare professional will cleanse and prepare the area(s) to be treated.
  • The clear gel in the Restylane family of products is injected into the treatment area(s) using an ultra-fine needle to create the desired aesthetic effect.

After your treatment, you may have some: swelling, redness, pain, bruising, and tenderness. These are typically mild in severity and normally last less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Swelling may be more likely in patients under 36 years, and bruising may be more likely in patients over 35 years. Please see below for Important Safety Considerations for the Restylane family of products.

Treatment do’s and don’ts


Before treatment

  • Avoid using aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), St. John's wort, or high doses of vitamin E supplements. These agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site.
  • Talk with your healthcare professional if you have previously suffered from facial cold sores. He or she may prescribe a medication to minimize recurrence.

After treatment

After treatment, use this helpful checklist, or print it out to keep it with you:

  • Use cold compresses to reduce swelling.
  • Avoid touching the treated area for the first six hours following treatment, so you do not accidentally injure your skin while the area is numb. After six hours, the area can be gently washed with soap and water.
  • Avoid exposure to intense heat (sun lamp or sunbathing) or cold.
  • Reduce the risk of facial cold sore recurrence that could be caused by needle punctures. Talk with your healthcare professional about medications that may minimize the likelihood of a outbreak.
  • Avoid taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), St John's wort, or high doses of vitamin E supplements for one week after treatment. These agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site.
  • After treatment, you might have some swelling, redness, pain, bruising, or tenderness. These are typically mild in severity and normally last less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Swelling may be more likely in patients under 36 years, and bruising may be more likely in patients over 35 years.
  • Remember to ask about follow-up appointments.

Print the wrinkle treatment process do’s and don’ts

Important Safety Considerations

The Restylane family of products includes Restylane®, Restylane-L®, Perlane®, and Perlane-L®. These products can be used to add volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds). Restylane and Restylane-L may also be used for lip enhancement in patients over 21 years. Ask your doctor which is right for you.

Important Safety Considerations for the Restylane family of products
Products in the Restylane family should not be used by people with previous bad allergies, particularly to microorganisms known as gram-positive bacteria, or by people with serious allergies to drugs that have previously required in-hospital treatment. These products should not be used by people with bleeding disorders. Products should not be injected anywhere except the skin, just under the skin (Perlane and Perlane-L only), or in the lips (Restylane and Restylane-L only). Restylane-L and Perlane-L should not be used by anyone with a known allergy to lidocaine.

Use at the site of skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infection should be postponed until healing is complete. In these instances, product use could delay healing or make your skin problems worse. After treatment, you might have some swelling, redness, pain, bruising, or tenderness. These are typically mild in severity and normally last less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Swelling may be more likely in patients under 36 years, and bruising may be more likely in patients over 35 years. Rarely, the doctor may inject into a blood vessel, which can damage the skin. Although rare, red or swollen small bumps may occur. If you have had facial cold sores before, an injection can cause an outbreak. To avoid bruising and bleeding, you should not use the products if you have recently used drugs that thin your blood or prevent clotting. Products should not be used during pregnancy, when breastfeeding, or in patients under 18 years for nasolabial folds.

Treatment volume should be limited to 6.0 mL in wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, and limited to 1.5 mL per lip (Restylane and Restylane‑L only), as greater amounts significantly increase moderate and severe injection site reactions. The safety or effectiveness of treatment in areas other than nasolabial folds and lips (Restylane and Restylane‑L only) has not been established in controlled clinical studies.

The Restylane family of products is available only through a licensed practitioner.

Except as where otherwise indicated, all product names, slogans, and other marks are trademarks of the Valeant family of companies.
RES 12-128A, B, C

Medicis