Are there any reasons why I should not use products within the Restylane Filler family? (Contraindications)

Talk to your doctor about your medical history to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for treatment.

You should not use products within the Restylane family if:

• You have severe allergies with a history of severe reactions (anaphylaxis)
• You are allergic to lidocaine or to any of the gram-positive bacterial proteins used to make hyaluronic acid
• You are prone to bleeding or have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder

Are there other precautions that I should discuss with my doctor?

The safety of these products for use during pregnancy, or in women who are breastfeeding, has not been studied

• Any history of scarring, particularly thick and stiff scars, or any pigmentation (skin color) disorders. These side effects can occur with hyaluronic acid fillers in general.
• Tell your doctor if you are planning other laser treatments or a chemical peel, as there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site.
• Patients who experience skin injury near the site of injection with these products may be at a higher risk for side effects
• medications to decrease your body’s immune response (immunosuppressive therapy). Using these medications may increase your risk of bruising or bleeding at the injection site.
• “blood thinners” such as aspirin, warfarin, or any other medications that affect bleeding. Using these medications may increase your risk of bruising or bleeding.
• The use of these products on gel injection sites with skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections should be postponed until healing is complete. Use of the product in these areas could delay healing or make your skin problems worse.
• Tell your doctor if you have diseases, injuries, or disabilities of the hand.

What are the possible side effects?

The most commonly observed side effects are swelling, redness, pain, bruising, headache, tenderness, lump formation, itching at the injection site, and impaired hand function. These are typically mild in severity and typically resolve in less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Serious but rare side effects include delayed onset infections, recurrence of herpetic eruptions, and superficial necrosis at the injection site.

One of the risks with using this product is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin.