Restylane® Silk™ is a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler developed specifically for lip filler injections, manufactured by Swiss-based Galderma S.A. which also manufactures Restylane® Kysse™. Because it is specifically created for lip injections, Restylane® Silk™ has been historically one of the most used fillers for lip augmentation in the United States.

Restylane® Silk™ was the first of its class to be authorized by the FDA for lip augmentation and the smoothing of vertical lip lines. Today, Restylane® Silk™ is a less popular choice among patients and injectors since it was the first temporary filler authorized explicitly for use in and around the lips. Generally regarded as the thinnest among lip fillers, Restylane® Silk™ can be administered in great detail via needle or cannula and is a favorite for correcting vertical lip lines (sometimes called “smoker’s lines” or “lipstick lines”).

Like all lip fillers, hyaluronic acid (HA) is the primary ingredient in Restylane® Silk™. HAs are naturally occurring, moisture-binding sugars found in the skin, body, and joints. Hyaluronic acid’s water-attracting and water-binding qualities are widely regarded, making HA the ideal component for soft tissue augmentation such as the lips. According to some estimates, hyaluronic acid has the ability to store 1,000 times its weight in water. More recent estimates are still impressive, but not quite as high.

Restylane® Silk™, like other current HA lip fillers such as Juvéderm® Volbella™ and Revanesse® Lips™+, use a cross-linked technique in which lengthy chains of HA molecules are attached to one another. This cross-linking generates a net-like structure within the HA filler gel, which aids in the filler’s shape retention and longevity.

Restylane® Silk™ also has a numbing ingredient integrated into the filler gel with the HA molecules. Included inside Restylane® Silk™ is a tiny amount of lidocaine, a common numbing agent used in dermal fillers to minimize pain during injection. Unless someone has a history of allergies or adverse reactions to lidocaine, the numbing component of Restylane® Silk™ is a safe and convenient option for most patients.

While Restylane® Silk™ has been a historically popular lip filler, there have been rare instances of excess swelling, and many patients may choose a comparable lip filler to get a similar result without the risk of excessive swelling.