Which lasts longer- Juvederm or Restalyne?
Since I am very cautious and not sure I want to do it, I want to be super comfortable, and didnt feel good that the person who was going to do it was a PA who comes in from out of town onthe weekend. I prefer either my dermatologist or the plastics guy recommended by my hairdresser (who has been a bit too heavy handed with her work, IMO) and my massage therapist, whose work is lighter and more natural looking.
Eh, not much difference and results will vary a lot depending on the individual. But, both probably advertise about 6 months. If I had to pick I would say Juvaderm because it’s thicker but there are no guarantees and you really never know because so much depends on how quickly your body metabolizes the filler. It’s an experiment in many ways, but the good news is if you hate the results it will go away. Do less, not more you can always add would be my suggestion.
Thx. I may make an appt with the plastics guy for a consult/opinion. I am still very, very skiddish about the whole thing.
It’s really not that big of a deal. First they put some type of numbing cream over the area. You wait 20 minutes or longer (My last visit was rather painful, so I don’t think they waited long enough for the numbing cream to work.) Then they inject the Juvaderm in various places along the lines. I may have had 5 injections on both sides, using up one tube of Juvaderm. My plastics dr. takes a step back after each injection to look at his progress. I am not really red or too swollen afterwards, which is amazing. I ran into a friend in the office building as I was leaving, and I don’t think she noticed anything.
I get Botox for my forehead and a combo of Restylane/Botox for lip creases. Thrilled beyond imagination. No more depressing, frowny, tired/stressed face in the mirror. Worth every penny.
Kiddo said that one of her med student friends bombarded her with offers of free Botox and fillers - he desperately needed “guinea pigs” for his upcoming training at one of the top med schools… So there are some low cost options out there! You probably get what you paid for. 
I would not want to be a guinea pig for something like this. It’s your face, for Pete’s sake!!
Jym, definitely go to an expert. That was my mistake. My g/f’s dermatologist is booked a year in advance.
Reviving an old thread. Did those of you who had the fillers (Restylane) have a physician do it? At some places I think and aesthetician does it?
Any more recent stories of whether you are happy with results?
I had two different plastic surgeons administer a tube of Juvaderm on three separate occasions. One doctor did a much better job, so I would never consider using anyone else. I really doubt that aestheticians would be licensed to administer fillers. I decided that it really doesn’t last long enough to be worth the cost. My injections only helped for a few weeks. I’ve decided to live with my wrinkles.
^^ Perhaps you are not getting enough Juvaderm to make a difference. One tube of Juvaderm will only plump up one side of a nasolabial fold. Most people are afraid to look like some overdone celebrities, so they ask for the minimal, not knowing they are wasting money for underinjection as well.
I had a consultation with a doctor today about Juvaderm, and she answered all of the questions I had. She says she prefers to use Restylane over Juvaderm, because it does a better job of going where she wants it, and shaping how she likes it to go. She really sounds like an artist, not injecting a bunch of stuff into your face, and then you live with it. She says she likes to fill up the lines from your mouth to your jaw ( marionette lines) first, because if you fill up the nasolabial folds and there isn’t enough for the marionette lines, it looks even worse, because it exacerbates them, and those are what ages your face. She estimates what she might use and where, but makes the decision as she goes, based upon how it looks. She said she thought she’d use about 1 1/4 vials on the marionette lines, and the other 3/4 on the folds. She uses this on herself, and is very particular about how it looks.
As far as being able to spot this a mile away, I don’t think so. It’s very natural looking. She said some people want to use way too much, because they are trying to completely fill up the creases, which is not natural. She mentioned that she’s had the creases since she was 12, and that they are a part of her face, so it would look weird without them. I asked about the “joker smile” that you see sometimes, and wondered how someone could go from hound dog to joker smile with just filler, and she said that you can’t. The “joker smile” is apparently a combination of procedures, including filler in your lips and botox at the side of your mouth.
She said there could be some bruising for a couple of days (which you can alleviate by avoiding blood thinners before the procedure), and that sometimes you get lumps, but not to touch them, as they will go away soon. Some people try to smooth them out–don’t! She also said there was some swelling for a couple of weeks, but not particularly noticeable, and if you liked how it looked when you were swollen, but not as much when the swelling went down…that means you’d like it if you had more. You can always add more afterwards, if you don’t like the effect.
I feel very comfortable with her doing this. She sounds very interested in making people look good, not just injecting, taking the money and walking away. Now hopefully I’ll get it done in the next year!