In the United States, Restylane was the first hyaluronic acid filler to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic injection into subdermal facial tissues.
It may also be used for filling aging-related facial hollows and "orbital troughs" (under and around the eyes), as well as for cheek volume and contouring of the chin, lips and nose.
[2] A treatment with a dermal filler like Restylane can cause some temporary bruising in addition to swelling and numbness for a few days.
These side effects can be easily reversed with a treatment of hyaluronidase, which is an enzyme that speeds up the natural degradation of the injected hyaluronic acid filler.
A new way to use Restylane was described in the August 2007 issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology by Dutch cosmetic doctor Tom van Eijk, whose "fern pattern" injection technique aims to restore dermal elasticity rather than to fill underneath the wrinkles.