Restylane Fillers Compared: Lyft, Silk, Kysse, Refyne, Defyne, Volyme and More
How the Restylane filler family differs: NASHA vs OBT gel technology, firmness vs flexibility, where each tends to be used, and safety basics.
Restylane is a family of hyaluronic acid fillers made with two gel technologies: NASHA, which makes firmer gels, and OBT (Optimal Balance Technology), which makes more flexible gels. The short answer: firmer gels are used to lift and project, while flexible gels suit areas that move a lot, like the lips and smile lines. Your injector should match the product to the area and its FDA-approved use.
Gel strength and flexibility
A 2024 lab study measured firmness (G prime) and flexibility (the strain at which the gel starts to behave more like a liquid) for seven Restylane gels (Ohrlund et al., J Drugs Dermatol, 2024):
| Product | Technology | Firmness (G prime, Pa) | Flexibility (xStrain, %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restylane Lyft | NASHA | 799 | 17 |
| Restylane | NASHA | 701 | 7 |
| Restylane Silk | NASHA | 416 | 19 |
| Restylane Defyne | OBT | 271 | 761 |
| Restylane Volyme | OBT | 171 | 930 |
| Restylane Kysse | OBT | 160 | 908 |
| Restylane Refyne | OBT | 70 | 1,442 |
The authors concluded that OBT gels are highly flexible with low to intermediate firmness, suiting dynamic facial areas, while NASHA gels are firmer, with potential to lift and project. These are lab measurements of the gels, not clinical comparisons.
What the differences mean
| If you want | Gel type usually considered |
|---|---|
| Lift or projection (cheeks, chin) | Firmer NASHA gels |
| Natural movement (lips, smile lines) | Flexible OBT gels |
| Fine lines and subtle lip enhancement | Softer gels |
Each product has specific FDA-approved indications. The FDA notes that it approved different fillers for specific areas of the face and hands, and advises reading and discussing the patient labeling for the specific filler you receive (FDA: dermal fillers).
Safety basics for any Restylane product
- Common side effects: bruising, redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, itching and rash (FDA: dermal fillers).
- Most serious risk: unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which can cause tissue death, vision problems including blindness, or stroke (FDA: dermal fillers).
- Reversibility: hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which is also the emergency treatment for vascular occlusion (Kroumpouzos et al., JMIR Dermatol, 2024).
Questions to ask your injector
- Which Restylane product will you use, and is it FDA-approved for this area?
- Why that product rather than another?
- Do you keep hyaluronidase on hand?
- How long should results last?
Frequently asked questions
Is Restylane better than Juvéderm? Both are hyaluronic acid filler families with different gel technologies. Product choice and injector skill matter more than the brand.
Which Restylane is best for lips? Products designed and approved for lips; ask about their labeled indications.
How long does Restylane last? It varies by product and area; ask your injector about the labeled duration.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk to a board-certified dermatologist about your situation.
Sources
- Ohrlund A et al. Differentiation of NASHA and OBT hyaluronic acid gels according to strength, flexibility, and associated clinical significance. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024. PubMed
- Kroumpouzos G et al. Hyaluronidase for dermal filler complications: review of applications and dosage recommendations. JMIR Dermatol. 2024. PubMed
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers)
