Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Juvederm, Botox and Dysport; What They Are and How They Work

With all the names, commericals, and advertisements about new anti aging products, its hard to know what you need or what you really want. Having worked in the skincare industry for many years and personally tried all of these products, I think I can feel relitively confident that I am in a pretty good position to review, and describe each one of them.

I truly hope this helps you understand, and therefore know what to ask for when you visit a Plastic Surgeon, Dermatologist, or Nurse.

1) Botox- This is a leader in wrinkle treatment today. Botulism is a form of food poisoning that usually begins as blurred vision, dry mouth, dizziness, and nausea that may progress to deadly, flaccid paralysis. Medical use of botulism began in the 1950s. Botox is injected into muscles to stop them from creating creases when making facial expressions. The do not actually do anything to wrinkes per se. They simply stope one from making exagerated facial expressions that are unattractive, and give the appearance of leathery skin due to constant movment from underlying muscle. The result is a smooth and younger look. If you look at the skin of young children, they do not have the muscle development of adults, and their forheads look flat, and unlined. This is the appearance that Botox re-creates.

2) Restylane- This is something that fills in wrinkles. It can actually stimulate collagen once injected, making the need for further injections less necessary. I personally had my first laugh line injections 10 years ago, and my laugh lines have never come back as severely as they were before I started injections. I had 2 syringes of Restylane, and have only touched up the area surrounding the laugh lines since that time. Restylane is truly a god send.

3) Perlane has become my all around favorite. This product is very much like Restylane, in thatit fills creases, and wrinkles, but it has the benefit of bulking up more substantially than Restylane. In other words, it is not for lips, but for cheekbone augmentation, and to build up a receding chin. Any part of the face that is beginning to atrophy.

4) Radiesse is a miracle product that can greatly re-shape your entire face. It can give a flat face cheekbones, and build up a jawline. There is really no need for facial implants as long as Radiesse is on the market. Whenever you see celebrities change the shape of their face, it is often due to this product, rather than implants.

5) Dysport is a competitor for botox. It basically does the exact same thing, however, having tried both Botox and Dysport, I will tell you that I have experience a slight difference in results. The Botox seems to have a more dramatic initial effect, but, the results last about one month less than Dysport.

6) Jeuvederm is a competitor for Restylane. It also fills wrinkles, but, the chemistry is slightly lighter than Restylane, making it better for lips. The lip area looks more natural when a very fine material is injected to lines or to the borders for enhancement. A bulky product will give the famous duck appearance that we all know and hate.