Unknown-4The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Restylane® Lyft with lidocaine for cheek augmentation. Restylane® Lyft, formerly marketed as Perlane-L®, is also approved to correct and smooth the nasolabial folds.

In a clinical trial of 200 patients, 88.7% of those who were treated with Restylane® Lyft showed an improvement in fullness in the right and left midface areas (combined) at 2 months, and more than half maintained improvement for 12 months. Additionally, 95% of patients reported improvement in the appearance of their midface at 2 months and 73% of patients reported improvement at 12 months. The most common adverse events in the trial were tenderness, redness, bruising, swelling, and itching. These events decreased in severity over time, and most were resolved within 2 weeks.

This FDA approval marks the fifth major indication in the US for the Restylane® family of Hyaluronic acid-based products. Restylane® Lyft joins Restylane®, which is approved to correct smile lines and augment the lips, and Restylane® Silk for lip enhancement and wrinkles and lines around the mouth.

One Size Fits Many

Annie Chiu, MD, a dermatologist in Redondo Beach, Calif, says versatility is this injectable’s main selling point. “It’s nice to have a one product to use in a couple of FDA-approved areas,” she tells PSP. “I love that I can put a little around the eyes and them add volume to the midface,” she says. “It’s a better approach than just chasing one line or building up volume in the cheek, because the whole face moves as a unit.”

The Bigger Picture

“Galderma is beefing up the ‘Restylane’ brand. Now, Galderma will market ‘Restylane,’ ‘Restylane Silk,’ and ‘Restylane Lyft,’ ” says PSP editorial advisor Joe Niamtu III, DMD, a cosmetic facial surgeon in Midlothian, Va and the secretary of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

“All major filler companies will be presenting an array of ‘their’ filler, but with different properties for different indications. We can expect ‘standard’ fillers for lip and wrinkles, hefty fillers (high G prime) for lift and deeper injection, and ‘lite’ fillers are more fluid and indicated for superficial injection of fine lines.”