Nasolabial Folds Improve with Cheek Augmentation

Hi Dr. Rivkin,
I had Restylane injections on the nasolabial lines one year ago. I was not very happy with the results. First, I did not notice a major difference and it felt lumpy to the point I could not wait for it to wear off. The other problem I have is that besides the lines the area is also depressed. I am wondering if another kind of filler is better for me and...............is there anything that can be done for the depressed area? And.........what about the little spider lines that come off the nasolabial lines.........can something be done with them? Thanks


hi,
it sounds like you have deep nasolabial folds, not just wrinkles. sometimes just pumping up the depressed area does not work. some people have a loss of volume above the fold - in the front portion of the cheek. this volume loss accentuates the depth of the fold. if you fill the cheek, though, the fold improves - it looks much less prominent and the midface regains some of the lost volume. a full midface area is very important to prevent the "saggy," tired appearance that comes from loss of cheek volume.
i would also not use restylane - it is a filler for more superficial lines. you should be using a thicker filler that goes deep, like radiesse. it will also last you alot longer as well.
in terms of the spider veins, i just got a new device called veinwave that works really well. it is a needle with a current. you put it on the vein and it destroys it. works well for small facial vessels.
hope that helps