A brand new filler for lips and fine lines is soon to be available on the US market! Resylane Silk is the newest dermal filler approved by the FDA. Silk is also the only FDA-approved filler for treatment of vertical lip lines, or smokers lines.
I’m particularly excited about Silk, as I’m obsessed with lip enahncement. It’s probably my favorite medical spa procedure. I have a naturally small mouth and thinner lips, so I have always wanted a fuller look. After my first lip enhancement I was completely hooked! So I love when there are more options available for and type of lip enhancement, be it augmentation or dimishing lip lines and wrinkles. Silk is versatile in what it can treat, and as its name implies, this is a silky smooth product that will leave you with a hydrated, defined, natural and more youthful appearance.
What is Restylane Silk?
Restylane Silk, like Restylane, is a filler made of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies that is essential to keep the skin hydrated, elastic, and smooth. As we age, our bodies slowly start producing less hyaluronic acid, leading to less elastic skin and more wrinkles. This volume and elasticity loss is very often apparent in the mouth area. The soft tissue of the lips is constantly stressed by the repetitive motions that occur when we eat, drink, talk, laugh, and cry. Also lips tend to dry out more quickly, leaving them looking wrinkled. The combination of loss of naturally-occuring hyaluronic acid as we age, together with these repetitive motions, causes the lip area to show wrinkles more quickly than other areas of the body. Restylane Silk is a filler that will help with many of these issues, and will be a great complimentary treatment to Restylaneas well.
What makes Restylane Silk different from Restylane?
It is a smaller particle formulation, making it a silky smooth product, that allows for precise shaping and definition, as well as for providing subtle, natural lip enhancement, definition in the lips and around the mouth area, and gives the appearance of hydration. Why does the particle size matter? Well, think of it this way, the big the particle, the more plumping effect you'll have. Perlane, for instance, is the largest partcile formulation of the fillers from Galderma (makers of Restylane and Silk). It is used for adding volume and structure to larger areas of the face. Restylane has a smaller gel partcile formulation than Perlane and is often used for lip enhancement and tear trough rejuvenation. Silk has the smallest partcile and therefore will best be used in smaller areas where a great plumping effect is not desired.
So, what exactly can Silk be used for?
Silk can be used for many treatments. Here are a few:
Hydration and definition. Ever notice that your lips look dry and a little wrinkly, even with your lip balm on? Silk will smooth out these wrinkles and give the appearance of very hydrated lips. It can also give definition to your lip shape, whether you have natuarally full or thinner lips. When I had it injected, it very much emphasized my natural shape, and gave the look of an enhanced vermillion border. Tres sexy!
Subtle lip enahncement. Silk can provide a small amount of enhancement to already naturally full lips. A product of a thicker consistency would cause naturally full lip to look overfilled. For those who have naturally thinner lips, and desire a very subtle result for lip enahncement, Silk will be perfect. The HA molecule is small enough that it will not produce and over-filled looking result.
Fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. Silk is a great product for filling the vertical lines that feather out from the lip (these are also known as smoker's lines...and apparently "bar codes" is a term making its way into the field! Bar codes? Let's keep calling them vertical lip lines!).
Silk is great not just for lines around the lips, but really any fine line or wrinkle, like smile lines. The result is really gorgeous...always leaving a smooth, almost air-brushed appearance.
Oral commissure lines: Wrinkles, lines and folds form in the oral commissures (the area around the corners of the mouth). Oral commissure lines are small and radiate from the corners of the mouth. Small amounts of Silk can be injected just below the upper lip in the corner of the mouth to fill the crease and give the lip a slight upturned appearance.
Tear Troughs. Silk can also be used for enahancement of tear troughs for patients who are younger and don't have much volume loss in the area, or for patients who may need just a subtle enhancement along the orbital bone.
How Long Does it Last?
Results are expected to last about 6 months. This is less than with some other larger particle fillers but the time frame is as expected when considering that this is a finer product intended to be used closer to the skin's surface, and also used in an area that moves as much as the mouth does.