Using Restylane dermal fillers to treat forehead rhytids is effective, easy, and safe, and is of great benefit to patients, who appreciate the quick procedure with no recovery period, and minimal side effects.
What are forehead rhytids?
Forehead rhytids are the wrinkles that horizontally traverse the forehead and occur as a result of facial aging. These lines are caused by repeated muscle motion in the frontalis muscle from various facial expressions, throughout the patient’s life. As the effects of gravity set in, these wrinkles become static, persisting in appearance even when the face is at rest, and no expressions are being actively made.
Restylane fillers for wrinkle correction
Generally speaking, forehead wrinkles are best treated with fillers which have low-to-moderate G prime, as these gels tend to be less viscous and more easily spreadable within the treatment area. Low viscosity fillers are favoured in the forehead region due to the unique anatomy of the area – the forehead skin is relatively thin, which heightens the risk of visible lumps and irregularities.
Restylane is a popular brand of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers that offers several viable options for treating forehead wrinkles. The classic Restylane dermal filler is widely used due to its established track record of safety and efficacy.
Restylane Silk, with its fine-particle formulation and low G prime factor, is also suitable for correcting mild forehead lines. Finally, for moderate to severe wrinkles, Restylane Refyne and Defyne can also be considered. These fillers are manufactured using the proprietary XpresHAn Technology to preserve natural facial expressions, making them suitable for a high mobility region, such as the forehead.
What you should know
When treating the forehead with Restylane, there are some issues the practitioner should be mindful of throughout the procedure. The superficial placement necessary in this region means that any lumps are readily visible, so care must be taken to avoid beading and overcorrection. In addition, injections should be administered intradermally, as subdermal injections can increase the likelihood of an inadvertent intravascular injection. To further minimize this risk, the injector may also consider the use of a cannula instead of a needle. If using a needle, the serial puncture technique is a good treatment approach.
Common side effects and how to prevent them
This treatment produces side effects which are minimal and typically limited to injection-related reactions, such as bruising, swelling and/or minor bleeding. The patient can manage this by applying ice to reduce swelling, and avoiding alcohol intake. In the week following treatment, the patient should also avoid exposure to the sun and to heat.