Restylane® Contour Cheek Filler Injections
The New Filler for Natural & Contoured Cheeks in the San Diego Area
Dr. Melanie Palm is a noted expert in the use of non-surgical injectables – including Restylane Contour cheek filler – with offices in Solana Beach, CA just north of San Diego. She is a principal investigator on the U.S. clinical trial leading to FDA-approval of Restylane Contour. Dr. Palm also serves as a key opinion leader, physician trainer, advisory board member, and consultant for Galderma.
What is Restylane Contour?
Restylane Contour is a hyaluronic acid filler from the Restylane family of products. FDA-approved and released in 2021, Restylane Contour is used for cheek enhancement and correction of midfacial volume deficiencies. This hyaluronic acid gel filler has been approved and used in Europe and Canada for several years prior to its introduction stateside
What is Dr. Palm’s experience with Restylane Contour?
Dr. Palm is one of 15 U.S. physicians selected as a clinical investigator to lead the phase III clinical trial for Restylane Contour. This means she treated subjects with this cheek filler in the study that led to FDA-approval. Dr. Palm serves as an Advisory Board member, clinical investigator, national speaker, and physician trainer for Galderma, the company that makes Restylane Contour. This indicates she has been selected to educate other physicians on products use and safety, and that she has assisted in studies related to Galderma products.
Where can Restylane Contour be used?
Restylane Contour is approved for cheek enhancement, support, and contouring. This new hyaluronic acid gel filler is flexible but supportive, providing natural looking results in the midface at rest and with expression.
What are the benefits of Restylane Contour?
This is a perfect question as several hyaluronic fillers used for cheek support area already available in the U.S. (such as Restylane Lyft and Voluma). To answer this, a phase IV clinical study was conducted in Canada on patients comparing results from Restylane Contour versus Restylane Lyft. Treatment with Restylane Contour was selected in patients with good cheekbone support but more fat loss or volume loss in the middle cheek. Lyft was used in patinets that lacked good bone support in the midface and could benefit from precision and structure in filler placement. Results demonstrated that Contour enhanced cheeks and looked natural at both rest and with maximal smile.
How long does Restylane Contour last?
Restylane Contour is FDA-approved for up to 48 weeks duration. In the FDA clinical trial, 63% of patients had noticeable improvement in their cheek shape almost 1 year following treatment and a touch-up. Furthermore, at 1 year, 98% of patients were pleased with the appearance of their cheeks. It is important to note that around 4 syringes of product were used to achieve these results. Cheek enhancement may last closer to 6-12 months in “real-life” use, and occasional touch-up treatments are ideal for maintaining results from Restylane Contour.
Does Restylane Contour look natural in the cheeks?
Yes. Restylane Contour integrates into the area of placement extremely well, lending this filler to a very natural result in expert hands. Dr. Palm tailors cheek filler placement and selection to individual patient needs, always striving for cheek enhancement that addresses aging changes, enhances beautiful features, restores light reflex, and respects cheek symmetry and facial proportion.
What makes Restylane Contour different from other hyaluronic acid fillers?
Restylane Contour is the fourth Restylane filler product to use XpresHAn technology. This technology imparts flexibility and structure to the filler. In an areas such as the cheeks, flexibility and support allows the filler to look natural with motion such as smiling or talking. XpresHAn technology means that Restylane Contour blends well with the cheek tissue, and has long-lasting results. In the FDA trial, there were no severe or late-onset side effects following placement of Restylane Contour in the cheeks. Swelling is typically mild following injection with Restylane Contour.
What is XpresHAn technology and which products like Restylane Contour use it?
Three Restylane products utilize XpresHAn technology to impart great flexibility and support in tissues of these hyaluronic acid fillers. The Restylane XpresHAn hyaluronic gel products are softer gel textures that allow excellent tissue integration of the filler, allowing natural expression and movement. This softness and movement is created by a proprietary linking process of the hyaluronic acid particles. The more cross-linked, the more supportive the filler. XpresHAn Restylane hyaluronic acid filler products include the following from least to most cross-linked:
- Refyne: lowest percentage of cross-linking (6%) in XpresHAn family and used for support of nasolabial folds and marionette lines in younger or thinner skinned-patients
- Kysse: middle percentage of cross-linking (7%) in XpresHAn family. It is FDA-approved for upper lip lines and the lips..
- Contour: middle percentage of cross-linking (7%) in XpresHAn family with a larger calibrated gel size than Kysse. It is FDA-approved for cheek enhancement and correction of midface volume deficits.
- Defyne: highest percentage of cross-linking (8%) in XpresHAn family and excellent for more robust support of deeper nasolabial folds and marionette lines
How much downtime is there following Restylane Contour treatment?
In Dr. Palm’s experience, there is typically mild to minimal swelling following Restylane Contour placement in the lips. While individual results may vary, most patients experience minimal to mild swelling for a day or two. Most patients can resume daily social activities same day.
As with any injectable dermal filler, there is a chance of bruise. Dr. Palm may use a cannula or needle to deliver Restylane Contour to minimize risk and maximize results. Patients should avoid medications, supplements, and vitamins that thin the blood for one week prior to treatment.
Can Restylane Contour be combined with other fillers or procedures?
Yes, Restylane Contour is often used by Dr. Palm in conjunction with other fillers, skin tightening procedures, or light and laser based technologies to create a more enhanced outcome. Restylane Contour may be used with other fillers to balance the face and restore lost volume, a process called a “liquid face lift.” Dermal fillers such as Restylane Contour are well paired with neuromodulators such as Botox or Dysport, in order to relax overactive facial muscles and provide a lip flip. While Contour rejuvenates and enhances the cheek region, light and laser technologies such as IPL, fractional CO2 laser resurfacing, or ResurFX may be employed to eliminate unwanted brown spots, broken blood vessels, enlarged pores, or uneven skin texture and wrinkles. Finally, skin tightening treatments such as Ultherapy, Instalift, or Exilis are excellent complements to filler use with products such as Restylane Contour.
What is the cost of Restylane Contour?
The price of Restylane Contour ranges by amount of cheek restoration to be accomplished. Contour placement by a well-trained dermatologist or plastic surgeon may require one to four syringes of product for a pleasing and appreciable result.
What is lip injection with Restylane Contour like? Does Contour placement hurt?
Restylane Contour comes with lidocaine, an anesthetic product, pre-incorporated into the gel filler. Lidocaine increases comfort during the injectable filler procedure. However, Dr. Palm and her team take appropriate measures to minimize discomfort during cheek treatment with Restylane Contour. Comfort measures include topical numbing, an ice pack, which is also provided to the patient for home use. With these pain mitigating measures, Restylane Contour treatment is well-tolerated.
What are the possible side effects of Restylane Contour?
In the clinical trial, no severe adverse events were reported in patients following treatment with Restylane Contour. Adverse events are typically mild in nature. The most common and expected possible side effects include swelling and bruising. Like any injectable filler, there is a chance of other possible side effects including pain or soreness at the injection site, or allergic reaction. Serious complications, such as vessel compromise, stroke, or blindness is exceedingly rare but theoretically possible.
If you are looking for a non-surgical alternative for enhancing cheeks and contouring the midface in the San Diego area, call Dr. Melanie Palm at 858.792.SKIN (7546) to schedule your appointment.
