Restylane is a family of hyaluronic acid fillers made by Galderma. This guide explains how Lyft, Defyne, Refyne and Contour differ, what each is FDA-approved to treat, how long results last, what they cost, and how to choose. Clinician-reviewed.
Restylane Lyft is an FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler that adds volume and lift, mainly to the cheeks, midface, nasolabial folds, chin, and backs of the hands. It uses firm NASHA gel with 20 mg/mL HA plus 0.3% lidocaine, and results typically last 6 to 18 months.
Restylane is not a single product. It is a whole family of hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers made by Galderma, and the names sound alike on purpose: Lyft, Defyne, Refyne, Contour, Kysse, Silk, Eyelight, and the original Restylane. Each gel is tuned for a different job, from lifting flat cheeks to softening laugh lines to plumping lips. Choosing well starts with understanding how the products actually differ.
This guide breaks the four most-asked-about products down side by side, tells you which uses are FDA-approved and which are off-label, and is honest about how long results really last and where the evidence has limits. Restylane fillers are prescription medical devices placed by a licensed injector, and the person holding the needle matters far more than the label on the syringe.
*FDA status in brief: Restylane Lyft, Defyne, Refyne and Contour are all FDA-approved HA fillers, each cleared for specific facial areas. Using a product outside its approved area (for example lifting the temples or jawline) is common and can be reasonable, but it is off-label. This page is educational and is not a substitute for a medical consultation.*
Restylane is a portfolio of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers manufactured by Galderma. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule your skin already produces to hold water and structure. In a filler, that HA is purified from non-animal (bacterial fermentation) sources, so allergy pre-testing is not required, then it is cross-linked into a stable gel that resists breaking down for months after injection. Because the HA is bio-identical, it can also be dissolved on purpose with an enzyme called hyaluronidase if a result needs correcting.
The single most useful thing to understand about Restylane is that the line is built on two different gel technologies. The classic products, including Restylane Lyft and Silk, use NASHA (Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid), a firmer, more granular gel that gives strong lift and holds its shape, which suits deep structural work like cheeks. The newer products, including Refyne, Defyne and Contour, use XpresHAn Technology, a more flexible gel designed to move with the face so expression looks natural in areas like the smile lines. Knowing whether a product is a lift-and-support gel or a flex-and-blend gel tells you most of what you need before you ever discuss a specific name.
All Restylane fillers work by physically replacing lost volume and support beneath the skin. The cross-linked HA gel is injected into a specific tissue plane, where it occupies space, restores contour, and draws in a small amount of water, smoothing the overlying skin. This is fundamentally different from a neuromodulator such as Botox, which relaxes muscles rather than adding volume. Fillers address static changes, the hollows and folds that are present when your face is at rest, while neuromodulators address dynamic wrinkles from muscle movement.
The cross-linking agent used across the Restylane line is BDDE (1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether), a standard, well-studied linker that ties HA chains together so the gel lasts. How tightly and how the HA is cross-linked determines the gel's rheology: its firmness, its lift capacity (often described by a property called G prime), and how much it flexes. NASHA gels are engineered for higher lift and projection; XpresHAn gels are engineered for a range of flexibility so a single family can cover firm structural cheeks and soft, mobile lips. Most products also contain 0.3% lidocaine, a local anesthetic mixed into the gel to make the injection itself more comfortable.
The four products people compare most are Lyft, Defyne, Refyne and Contour. In simple terms: Lyft is the firm lifter, Contour is the flexible cheek filler, Defyne is the deeper flexible fold filler that also treats the chin, and Refyne is the softest flexible filler for finer smile lines. The table below summarizes the differences, then the sections that follow explain uses, longevity, safety and cost in more detail.
| Product | Gel technology | Firmness / feel | Primary FDA-approved use | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restylane Lyft | NASHA | Firm, strong lift | Cheek augmentation, midface, nasolabial folds, chin, backs of hands | About 6 to 18 months (area-dependent) |
| Restylane Contour | XpresHAn | Flexible, cheek-tuned | Cheek augmentation and midface contour | Up to about 12 months |
| Restylane Defyne | XpresHAn | Flexible, deeper support | Deep nasolabial folds; chin augmentation for retrusion | Up to about 12 months |
| Restylane Refyne | XpresHAn | Softest, most flexible | Moderate nasolabial folds and smile lines | Up to about 12 months |
Beyond these four, the family also includes Restylane Kysse (FDA-approved for lip augmentation and upper lip lines, using XpresHAn), Restylane Silk (a smooth NASHA gel for lips and fine perioral lines), Restylane Eyelight (approved for under-eye, or infraorbital, hollows), and the original Restylane, also sold as Restylane-L, approved for nasolabial folds and lips. Not every clinic stocks every product, so ask which ones your injector carries and why they recommend one over another for your specific face.
Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine is FDA-approved for cheek augmentation and correction of age-related midface contour deficiencies, for moderate-to-severe facial folds such as the nasolabial folds, for chin profile correction in mild-to-moderate chin retrusion, and for restoring lost volume in the backs of the hands, all in patients age 21 and older. That breadth, plus its firm lift, is why Lyft is a workhorse and why people ask whether it is a good filler: for structural volume it is well supported, though whether it is the right choice depends entirely on your anatomy and goals.
Restylane Contour is FDA-approved specifically for cheek augmentation and midface contour, offering more natural movement than Lyft for people who want cheek volume that flexes with a smile. Restylane Defyne is approved for deeper facial folds and for chin augmentation in mild-to-moderate chin retrusion. Restylane Refyne is approved for moderate facial wrinkles and folds, the finer smile lines, where its soft gel blends smoothly.
Injectors also use these gels off-label, meaning outside the exact FDA-cleared area: examples include jawline definition, temple hollows, and non-approved facial regions. Off-label use is legal and can be appropriate in trained hands, but it should be named plainly and is generally supported by clinical experience rather than the pivotal trials that earned each approval. Ask your provider directly whether your planned treatment is on-label or off-label, and what the evidence for it is.
A Restylane treatment starts with a consultation. A good injector assesses your facial structure, discusses realistic goals, reviews your medical history and medications (blood thinners and some supplements increase bruising), and confirms you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, which are situations where fillers are not recommended. They should tell you which product and how many syringes they plan to use, and why.
On treatment day, the skin is cleaned and often numbed with topical anesthetic, though the 0.3% lidocaine already in the gel reduces discomfort during injection. The provider injects the filler using either a fine needle or a blunt-tipped cannula, sculpting and sometimes gently massaging the gel into place. A single-area session commonly takes 15 to 45 minutes. Because there is no general anesthesia, this is an in-office procedure and you go home the same day.
Afterward you can expect some swelling, redness, tenderness, or bruising at the injection sites, which usually settles within a few days to two weeks. Typical aftercare includes avoiding strenuous exercise, heat, and alcohol for a day or two, not pressing on the area, and sleeping with your head elevated. Final results settle as any swelling resolves, so judge the outcome at about two weeks rather than on the day of treatment.
Longevity is the question people ask most, and the honest answer is that it varies by product, treatment area, dose, injection technique, and your own metabolism. Firmer gels in low-movement, deep areas tend to last longer than soft gels in mobile areas. Manufacturer trials report duration up to a defined study endpoint, not a guaranteed lifespan, so treat all numbers as typical ranges rather than promises.
For Restylane Lyft, cheek and midface correction commonly lasts around 12 months, with some studies and an optional touch-up extending visible results toward 18 months or more; volume in the backs of the hands is shorter, often around 6 months because the hands move and thin constantly. Restylane Contour, Defyne and Refyne generally last up to about 12 months in their approved facial areas. Lip results, from Kysse or Silk, tend to be shorter because lips are highly mobile.
Results are not permanent because the body gradually breaks the HA down. Many people schedule a maintenance touch-up before the filler fully dissipates to hold their result. There is no reliable evidence that HA fillers permanently change your face, and if you dislike a result or it looks overfilled, hyaluronidase can dissolve HA filler within days, an important safety net that non-HA fillers do not offer.
Most side effects are mild, temporary, and expected: swelling, redness, tenderness, bruising, itching, or small lumps at the injection sites that resolve within days to about two weeks. These are common to essentially all HA fillers and are usually managed with cold compresses and time. Lumps that persist can often be smoothed or, if needed, dissolved.
The serious risks are rare but real, and they are why provider skill matters most. The most feared is vascular occlusion, where filler is inadvertently injected into or compresses a blood vessel, blocking blood flow. This can cause skin breakdown (necrosis) and, very rarely, permanent vision loss if it affects an artery near the eye. Warning signs include severe or disproportionate pain, blanching or dusky skin color, or vision changes, and they are a medical emergency requiring immediate hyaluronidase and care. Published reviews of large case series confirm these events are uncommon, that hyaluronidase given promptly has a high recovery rate, and that delayed treatment worsens outcomes.
Other risks include infection, delayed inflammatory nodules, allergic reaction (uncommon with non-animal HA), and the Tyndall effect, a bluish tint when filler is placed too superficially. Restylane fillers are contraindicated in people with a known hypersensitivity to HA or lidocaine and are not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Choosing a licensed, experienced injector who knows facial anatomy and keeps hyaluronidase on hand is the single biggest factor in avoiding and managing complications.
Restylane's main competitor is Juvederm, Allergan's HA filler line (Voluma, Volux, Vollure, Volbella, Ultra and others). Both are FDA-approved hyaluronic acid fillers with strong safety records, and for most patients either brand can deliver an excellent result, so the common question of whether Restylane Lyft is better than Juvederm rarely has a single winner. The meaningful differences are in gel character: Restylane's NASHA gels are firmer and more granular, which some injectors prefer for precise, structural lift, while Juvederm's Vycross gels are smoother and more cohesive, which can feel softer and integrate seamlessly. In practice, the injector's skill and the match between the product and your anatomy matter more than the brand.
Alternatives beyond HA fillers include biostimulators that prompt your own collagen rather than adding gel: Sculptra (poly-L-lactic acid), which works gradually over months, and Radiesse (calcium hydroxylapatite), which is FDA-approved for certain facial folds and for hand volume and is used off-label elsewhere. Unlike HA products, these are not reversible with hyaluronidase, so they are a bigger commitment. For muscle-driven lines rather than lost volume, a neuromodulator such as Botox or Dysport is the appropriate tool, not a filler at all. A good provider will tell you honestly when a different product, or no treatment, serves you better.
Restylane fillers are priced per syringe, and the total depends on how many syringes you need, which product is used, your provider's experience, and your geographic market. As a general range, a single syringe of Restylane commonly runs from roughly the mid-hundreds to around eight hundred dollars or more, with premium metropolitan practices at the higher end. We do not quote a fixed price because it varies too much by market and provider to be reliable, so treat any number as an estimate and ask for a written quote.
Two cost realities are worth planning for. First, many faces need more than one syringe to reach a natural result, especially for cheek volume, so the per-syringe figure is not the per-treatment figure. Second, because results are temporary, the real cost is ongoing: budget for maintenance every 6 to 18 months depending on the area. Because fillers are cosmetic, insurance does not cover them. Be cautious of prices far below your local norm, which can signal diluted product, an inexperienced injector, or a non-medical setting, none of which are worth the saving on a treatment placed near facial arteries.
Restylane can be a good option if you have lost facial volume or want to soften folds, are in generally good health, are age 21 or older for the approved uses, and have realistic expectations. It is not appropriate during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for people with a hypersensitivity to HA or lidocaine, or in the presence of active skin infection at the treatment site. If your concern is muscle-driven lines rather than volume, or you want a permanent change, a filler may be the wrong tool, and an honest provider will say so.
The most important decision is not which Restylane product you choose but who injects it. Look for a licensed, appropriately trained medical professional (such as a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or a qualified injector working under medical supervision) who treats filler regularly, understands facial vascular anatomy, keeps hyaluronidase available for emergencies, and will discuss on-label versus off-label use plainly. Ask to see before-and-after photos of their own patients, and make sure the setting is a medical one.
When you are ready to move from research to treatment, the next step is a consultation with a vetted injector who can assess your face in person and recommend the right product and plan for your goals.
For cheeks and midface, Restylane Lyft commonly lasts around 12 months, and studies plus an optional touch-up can extend visible results toward 18 months. In the backs of the hands it is shorter, often about 6 months. Longevity is a typical range, not a guarantee, and varies by dose, area, technique, and metabolism.
Pricing is per syringe and varies widely by provider and region, commonly from the mid-hundreds to around eight hundred dollars or more. Many faces need more than one syringe for a natural result, so the per-syringe price is not the per-treatment cost. Ask for a written quote, and because results are temporary, budget for periodic maintenance.
Neither is universally better. Both are FDA-approved HA fillers with strong safety records. Restylane's NASHA gels are firmer and more granular, which some injectors prefer for structural lift, while Juvederm's Vycross gels are smoother and more cohesive. The injector's skill and the match to your anatomy matter far more than the brand.
Lyft is a firm NASHA gel for strong lift in cheeks, midface, folds, chin and hands. Contour, Defyne and Refyne use flexible XpresHAn gel: Contour is tuned for cheeks, Defyne for deeper folds and the chin, and Refyne is the softest for finer smile lines. Firmness and approved area are the key differences.
Yes. Because Restylane is hyaluronic acid, an injector can dissolve it with an enzyme called hyaluronidase, usually within days. This reversibility is a genuine safety advantage over non-HA fillers such as Radiesse or Sculptra, and it is also the emergency treatment if filler compromises a blood vessel.