In July, the FDA approved Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine (Galderma Laboratories) for the treatment of moderate to severe facial folds and wrinkles, as well as for people over the age of 21 who have age-related volume loss.
Treatment-related side effects of this hyaluronic acid filler include lumps at the injection site, redness, swelling, pain, tenderness and itching. It shouldn’t be used in patients with previous hypersensitivity to lidocaine or other amide type local anesthetics, according to FDA.
“Restylane Lyft is an ideal filler because it is a hyaluronic acid, which is many derms’ first choice. Its larger particles are excellent for lift and support, and the results are completely reversible, if needed,” David E. Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., who is a consultant with Galderma and conducted a not-yet-published study on Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, tells Cosmetic Surgery Times.
A similar FDA-approved filler, Juvéderm Voluma, also contains lidocaine and corrects age-related volume loss in the cheeks in patients older than 21.
Lyft vs Voluma: What's the Differece?
Lyft vs Voluma: What's the Differece?
Restylane Lyft differs from Juvéderm Voluma [Allergan], he says, in that Voluma is non-particle, strands of hyaluronic acid connected by proprietary Vycross cross-linking technology.
The Vycross technology, according to Voluma’s website (www.voluma.com) results in a smooth gel that flows easily and consistently. The cross-linking technology contributes to the filler’s longevity, which is up to two years.
“[Voluma] is ideal for lifting to elevate tissue. Restylane Lyft both lifts and fills,” Dr. Bank says.
Dr. JaconoAndrew Jacono, M.D., a Manhattan, N.Y., based facial plastic surgeon, who doesn’t have financial or consulting ties with filler companies, says Restylane Lyft is a good product that helps both lift and support because it has a high elastic modulus.
“I use it most commonly in my practice for cheek volume augmentation to treat age-related cheek drooping and devolumization,” Dr. Jacono tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. “I also use Voluma for midface volume augmentation, and I believe that Voluma may last longer than Restylane Lyft, but there are no head-to-head trials. For patients, Voluma is a higher price point than [Restylane Lyft]. In my practice, I see more patients opting for cheaper alternatives.”
