Restylane is one of the two leading dermal filler brands in the US — a family of hyaluronic acid gels made by Galderma, the same company behind Dysport.
Restylane is one of the two leading dermal filler brands in the US — a family of hyaluronic acid gels made by Galderma, the same company behind Dysport. Like its rival Juvederm, Restylane isn’t one product but a collection of FDA-approved fillers, each engineered for a specific job — lifting cheeks, defining lips, smoothing folds, or filling under-eye hollows.
Restylane is one of the two leading dermal filler brands in the US — a family of hyaluronic acid gels made by Galderma, the same company behind Dysport. Like its rival Juvederm, Restylane isn’t one product but a collection of FDA-approved fillers, each engineered for a specific job — lifting cheeks, defining lips, smoothing folds, or filling under-eye hollows. This guide covers what Restylane is, the products, what they treat, how long they last, cost, and safety.
Restylane is a brand collection of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers from Galderma — the maker of Dysport. HA is a sugar your body makes naturally, so the gel integrates smoothly, works immediately, and is reversible. Restylane fillers are FDA-approved for adults over 21. Like all fillers they add volume — they don’t relax muscle, which is the difference from Botox explained in Botox vs dermal fillers.
Restylane offers nine FDA-approved HA fillers. Each is matched to an area and a goal:
Quick comparison — Lyft — Best for: Cheeks, chin, hands (structure & lift); How long: Up to 12–18 months | Contour — Best for: Cheeks, mid-face sculpting; How long: Up to 12 months | Kysse — Best for: Lips & upper lip lines; How long: Up to 12 months | Refyne — Best for: Nasolabial folds, marionette (flexible); How long: Up to 12 months | Defyne — Best for: Deep folds & laugh lines (flexible); How long: Up to 12 months | Silk — Best for: Lips & fine lines (subtle); How long: ~6–10 months | Eyelight — Best for: Under-eye hollows (tear troughs); How long: Up to 18 months | Restylane / -L — Best for: Nasolabial folds & lips (originals); How long: Up to 18 months.
The firmer NASHA products (Lyft, Silk, Eyelight) give structure and lift, while the XpresHAn products (Kysse, Refyne, Defyne, Contour) flex with facial movement. For lips, Kysse is the dedicated lip filler — see lip filler.
Restylane’s HA gel adds volume and binds water to plump the treated area immediately. Its two technologies tune the feel: NASHA produces a firmer, granular gel that resists water absorption and holds its shape — ideal for lift and definition — while XpresHAn uses lighter cross-linking for a flexible gel that moves naturally in expressive areas. This is volumizing, not muscle-relaxing — the opposite approach to Botox, which is why fillers and neuromodulators are often combined.
Across its products, Restylane treats the cheeks, chin, lips, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, perioral (lip) lines, under-eye hollows, and the hands — all static, volume-related concerns. Notably, Eyelight is the first NASHA filler FDA-approved specifically for under-eye hollows, and Lyft is FDA-approved for cheeks, hands, and chin enhancement. It isn’t used for movement lines like forehead wrinkles, which call for a neuromodulator instead.
It depends on the product and area, generally 6 to 18 months. The originals and Lyft last up to 18 months in folds and cheeks, Kysse and the flexible XpresHAn fillers about a year, and Eyelight up to 18 months under the eyes. Mobile areas like the lips run shorter. Results are immediate — longer than Botox’s 3–4 months, with broadly similar longevity to Juvederm (which edges slightly longer in the cheeks).
Restylane is priced per syringe — typically around $650–$1,200, in line with Juvederm and other HA fillers, with structural products like Lyft at the higher end. Most treatments use one to two syringes, and Galderma’s Aspire rewards program (the same one used for Dysport) offers savings. Per session, filler usually costs more than Botox, but it lasts far longer; compare the full picture in Botox vs fillers. Cosmetic filler isn’t covered by insurance.
Restylane is FDA-approved with a long safety record. The most common side effects are temporary injection-site reactions — swelling, redness, tenderness, bruising, and occasional lumps — that settle within days to two weeks. As with any HA filler, the rare serious risk is accidental injection into a blood vessel (vascular occlusion), which is why injector skill matters and HA’s reversibility is a safety advantage. The risk profile differs from Botox’s side effects, which are mostly temporary and muscle-related.
Restylane’s main rival is Juvederm: both are HA fillers, but Restylane is firmer and more structured while Juvederm is smoother and softer — the full breakdown is in Juvederm vs Restylane. And like all fillers, Restylane adds volume rather than relaxing muscle, so it complements rather than replaces Botox (see Botox vs dermal fillers).
If your concern is movement lines rather than volume, a neuromodulator is the right tool — fittingly, Restylane’s maker Galderma also makes Dysport. Compare it with the best-known option in Botox vs Dysport.
After a consultation to choose the right product and amount, the injection takes about 15–30 minutes. The “-L” and most current products contain lidocaine and providers often add numbing cream, so discomfort is usually mild. You’ll see results immediately, with some swelling or bruising that settles over a few days to two weeks — so plan at least two weeks before any big event, and skip strenuous exercise, heat, and alcohol for the first 24 hours.
Because fillers carry a vascular risk and natural results depend on product choice and placement, the injector matters most. Choose a licensed, experienced provider — a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon, or a trained injector under medical supervision — who uses genuine Restylane, matches the right formulation to each area, and keeps reversal enzyme on hand. Find and compare qualified filler providers near you, or start at the dermal fillers hub.