Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Sexy, soft, plumper lips.

What woman doesn’t want sexy, plump natural looking lips? Now there is a new  Hyaluronic Acid (HA) filler on the block, Restylane Silk, which is a softer version of Restylane and the first FDA approved HA filler specifically for the lips and pucker lines.  The nice thing about all HA fillers is that if you don’t like the results, you don’t have to live it. The filler can be quickly dissolved with Hyaluronidase, an enzyme that degrades HA.

“In the FDA trial of Restylane Silk, which involved 221 mostly female patients, 98 percent had visible improvement 14 days after injection, and 76 percent still had lip improvement at six months. Study participants were offered an optional second injection at two weeks, and some took advantage of it” Allure.com

My lips have never had much of a cupid shape.  I’ve aged my lips have lost volume and shape. In my quest for fuller, plumper lips I’ve tried Restylane, Juvederm and Perlane.  My experiences have included looking like a duck and getting an allergic  reaction to Perlane.  After these HA fillers my lips have  felt chapped and a little hard.  It’s been awhile since I have indulged in lip filler, so when  I heard about Resytlane Silk,  I was eager to try it to see how it compared to the other fillers.

I’ve always considered Lip rejuvenation an art, realizing that not all dermatologists or plastic surgeons are skillful at injecting lips. Therefore, physician injector selection is very important.

There were only a small number of medical practices across the country that were privileged to get a sampling of Restylane Silk in December 2014, before its official launch.  Restylane Silk is made up of smaller particles than Resytlane and the injection technique differs slightly from regular Resytlane.  According to Galderma, the manufacturer, Restylane Silk should be injected very slowly.

Dr.Victor Lacombe, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Santa Rosa, California was one the first practices in Northern California to receive specialized training for Restylane Silk and had the product available. Dr. Lacombe, aside from being a skillful artist in facial plastic surgery, has an expertise in lip filler. I was excited to try Restylane Silk, and made my appointment with Dr. Lacombe at Artemedica in Santa Rosa.

First, Dr. Lacombe numbed my mouth area with a dental block. I’ve had lip filler before with only numbing cream, however, Dr. Lacombe prefers to completely numb his patients so that they he can perform his magic without any pain or discomfort.  Dr. Lacombe used 2 syringes of Restylane Silk during my first visit. He expertly injected into my vermillion border, lower lip, pucker lines, as well as in the corners of my mouth for a more upturned, youthful look.  A little leftover filler was placed in my chin area. I got a nice lift in the corners of my mouth as well as natural lip shape with some added fullness.  I could tell right away, I got a nice, natural outcome even though I was quite swollen.  During the first 24 hours, I was very swollen, more than usual and very bruised.  I bruise easily and was not concerned.  As the swelling went down, my lips had very nice definition and natural fullness.  I was happy!

I love the softness of my lips and the natural look.  I noticed a very slight unevenness and went back 3 weeks later for a  little touch-up. This is quite common. I was not as swollen after my touch-up and not as bruised.

It’s been 3 weeks since my second injection, my lips are slightly fuller and look very natural. They feel amazing very soft and velvety. I’m pleased they look natural and no overdone.   It will be interesting to see how long the Resylane Silk  lasts. In the past Restylane has not lasted in my lip area as long as Juvederm.  I suspect, I will be going for a touch-up in 3 months. Keep in mind everyone reacts differently to fillers and in some people fillers absorb quicker.  Also bruising and swelling is common. It is best to get injected at least 2 weeks before any important events. And remember less is more, you may need a touch-up.

As of this blog post, there are select practices throughout the U.S. that have been selected to offer Restylane Silk to their patients. As with any filler. Only go to a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist that has had specific training  with Restylane Silk.