Art of Skin MD is one of the first practices in the San Diego area offering Galderma’s newest members of the Restylane family that are changing the game with a very exciting new ability – flexibility. What makes this so exciting? Flexibility means a more natural look, and in the hands of the right injector, that can be game changing.
Dr. Palm serves as an advisory board member, clinical investigator, national speaker and physician trainer for Galderma, meaning that she has been selected to educate other physicians on products’ use and safety. She has also assisted in studies related to Galderma products. Both Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne were FDA approved in December 2016 and released in the U.S. in January 2017. Prior to this, Dr. Palm was among the first U.S. physicians to inject the product and was selected to learn from Canadian experts outside of the country on injection techniques prior to Restylane Refyne and Defyne becoming available in the U.S.
What makes these fillers different from other hyaluronic acid fillers already available? The hyaluronic acid strands of both Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne are bonded together in a way that creates a smooth gel that may provide not only a longer duration and less swelling than some other fillers used for wrinkle reduction, but also allows for more movement due to its flexibility. One of the most dreaded fears of patients is looking as though they have an unnatural appearance, and this is when choosing the right injector can make a huge difference. Dr. Palm is careful to select the right injectable dermal filler for each patient, and with the smoothness of both Restylane Refyne and Defyne, when injected by expert hands, they lend themselves to a very natural result by integrating into the areas of injection extremely well.
What is the difference between Refyne and Defyne? While Restylane Refyne and Defyne can be used as parts of combinations of fillers for what is called a “liquid facelift,” they each have their specific purpose.
Restylane Refyne is considered a “lighter” product, used for filling more shallow facial wrinkles. Dr. Palm likes to use Refyne in areas that need subtle enhancement to provide soft filling. Although it is FDA approved for the smile line area, Dr. Palm also utilizes it in areas such as the under-eye area (tear troughs), forehead, brow, cheeks and lips.
Restylane Defyne, while similar to Restylane Refyne in the fact that it has flexibility, is a more robust filler. Dr. Palm uses it to provide structure and support to areas of the face that have lost volume over time. Defyne is what is referred to as a foundational hyaluronic acid filler, meaning it addresses deeper volume loss in a way similar to other injectibles and volumizers such as Restylane Lyft, Radiesse, Voluma and Sculptra. Although FDA-approved for areas such as the nasolabial folds, Dr. Palm uses Defyne in the marionette folds, cheeks, jawline and even temples when appropriate.
These photos are before and after treatment of the smile lines with Restylane Refyne, creating a softer and more fresh appearance.
Dr. Palm will often use both Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne in conjunction with other fillers, skin tightening procedures or light-and laser-based technologies to create a more-enhanced outcome, dependent on each patient’s needs. She focuses on creating overall facial balance, correcting the changes caused by aging and enhancing the beautiful features of the face. She also pairs fillers such as Refyne and Defyne with neuromodulators, such as Botox or Dysport, to relax overactive facial muscles and smooth wrinkles related to exuberant facial expression.
While each patient’s experience can be different, in Dr. Palm’s experience, there is typically mild to minimal swelling following Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne treatments, typically lasting for a day or two. And as with any injectable dermal filler, there is always a chance of bruising. Dr. Palm may use a cannula technique to minimize this risk, she also provides a list of medications, foods, supplements and vitamins that should be avoided one week prior to treatment to help minimize the chance of bruising. In addition to these risks, there can also be pain during injection, but patient comfort is incredibly important to Dr. Palm and Art of Skin MD helps to alleviate any discomfort by using topical numbing prior to treatment as well as the option of ice or nerve blocks. There are extremely rare reactions, including allergic reaction to the filler, infection, compression of a nearby vessel causing skin changes, visual disturbances or stroke – these are very uncommon and should prompt a patient to call their physician immediately.
The importance of who is injecting any dermal filler is a very impactful factor on what the result will be for the patient, and Dr. Palm is certainly an expert – leaving no doubt that the patients at Art of Skin MD achieve results that leave them looking refreshed and natural. While Restylane Refyne and Defyne restore balance, light and laser technologies such as IPL Photofacial Intense Pulsed Light, fractional CO2 laser resurfacing or ResurFX are sometimes combined to eliminate unwanted brown spots, broken blood vessels, enlarged pores or uneven skin texture and wrinkles. These are all dependent on what the patient’s needs and goals are, and during a consultation, Dr. Palm helps put together a plan with each patient to ensure that their goals will be met. Call us today at 858-792-SKIN (7546) to schedule your appointment for more information.
