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This article is intended for qualified aesthetic practitioners. It is not patient advice and does not replace the manufacturer's instructions for use (IFU) or hands-on training.
Restylane filler is not one product. It is a family of hyaluronic acid (HA) gels made by Q-Med AB in Uppsala for Galderma, built on two main gel technologies: NASHA, which gives firm gels for lift and projection, and OBT, which gives softer, more flexible gels for areas that move. Choosing a syringe comes down to matching gel firmness and flexibility to the tissue plane and to how much animation there is in the area you are treating.
This guide sets out how the range fits together, what the published rheology and IFU data say about each product, and how the gels map to common indications.
Restylane launched in 1996, and the former Emervel line was folded into the brand in 2016, which is where Refyne, Defyne, Volyme and Kysse come from (Consulting Room). A Galderma release from February 2026 puts the portfolio at more than 77 million treatments worldwide (Galderma, via Business Wire).
The lidocaine versions of the main fillers share the same headline composition. The IFUs we checked for Restylane Classyc Lidocaine, Refyne, Defyne, Volyme and Kysse each list 20 mg/mL of HA with 3 mg/mL lidocaine hydrochloride. What differs is how the HA is stabilised and sized, and that is what changes how each gel behaves in tissue. In the UK these products are supplied as medical devices, not medicines, so check the CE marking, lot number and expiry date on every box you receive.
Galderma describes NASHA gels as relatively firm, relying mainly on the natural entanglement of long HA chains with a small number of added cross-links. OBT gels are described as soft and flexible, with firmness set by varying the degree of cross-linking (Galderma Aesthetics). In the US, OBT is marketed as XpresHAn.
A 2024 paper in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology measured gel strength (G′ at 0.1 Hz) and flexibility (xStrain, a measure of how much deformation a gel tolerates) across the range (Öhrlund et al., 2024):
The pattern is consistent. The NASHA gels are several times firmer but tolerate little deformation, while the OBT gels are softer and far more stretchable. Two caveats apply. The authors are Galderma scientists and this is bench data, not clinical outcome data. And G′ values measured in different laboratories or at different frequencies are not interchangeable, so avoid lining these numbers up against figures published for other brands.
The IFU details below come from Galderma's published English-language leaflets, which are Canadian editions unless stated. Indications and wording vary by market, so the leaflet in your own pack is the document that governs your practice.
The original NASHA gel, labelled Restylane Lidocaine or Classyc Lidocaine depending on the market, and the second firmest in the published data. The IFU covers facial tissue augmentation, wrinkle correction and lip enhancement, placed in the mid dermis or the submucosal layer of the lip. It is supplied with a 29G thin-wall or 30G needle, a 27–28G blunt cannula is given as an alternative, and the recommended maximum is 2 mL per treatment site per session.
Restylane Lyft is the firmest gel in the range and has the largest NASHA particle size. The US IFU describes implantation into the deep dermis to superficial subcutis for moderate to severe folds, and subcutaneous to supraperiosteal placement for cheek augmentation and for the chin. It also reports cannula use for cheek and chin with 25G–27G blunt-tip cannulas. The authors of the rheology paper link this firmness to the potential to create lift and projection.
Eyelight is a NASHA gel aimed at infraorbital hollowing and is sold in a 0.5 mL syringe. In the phase 3 study reported by Galderma, 87% of patients had at least a one-grade improvement on the infraorbital hollows scale at three months. The periorbital area is an advanced indication, and patient selection matters more than product choice.
The softest and most flexible gel in the data set. The IFU indicates mid to deep dermal injection for moderate facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds, with 30G needles supplied, a 27G cannula as an alternative and a maximum of 2 mL per treatment site.
Restylane Defyne is the firmest of the OBT gels while keeping high flexibility. Its IFU indicates the mid to deep dermis for severe wrinkles and folds, naming nasolabial folds and marionette lines. It ships with 27G needles and recommends up to 2 mL per nasolabial fold and 1 mL for marionette lines.
Volyme is the OBT volumiser. The IFU describes injection into the supraperiostic zone or subcutis to augment the cheeks, with 27G needles supplied, a blunt cannula of 27G or wider as an alternative, and a maximum of 1.5 mL per treatment site.
Restylane Kysse is the dedicated lip gel. The IFU specifies the submucosal layer of the lips, supplies 30G needles, allows a 25–27G blunt cannula and recommends no more than 2.5 mL across initial and touch-up treatments combined. It also warns that superficial placement can cause contour irregularities, palpable lumps or bluish discoloration.
These are small-particle NASHA gels for skin quality, not volume. Vital contains 20 mg/mL of stabilised HA and Vital Light 12 mg/mL, each with 3 mg/mL lidocaine in the lidocaine versions (Vital IFU, Vital Light IFU). Both are injected into the dermis, preferably the deeper part, with 29G thin-wall needles supplied. The recommended plan is three treatments four weeks apart, with maintenance generally around every six months.
Galderma positions NASHA for projection and definition, such as cheeks, nose, chin and jawline, and OBT for contouring, thinner tissue coverage and dynamic areas such as lips, nasolabial folds and marionette lines. In practice that gives a simple starting map:
Device choice follows the IFU and your training. Where the leaflet allows a cannula, keep the listed gauge in mind when you order cannulas.
The IFUs we checked all give the same instruction: store up to 25°C and protect from freezing and sunlight. The Classyc Lidocaine leaflet adds that refrigeration is not required. That means ambient storage in a temperature-monitored room, away from windows and radiators, and a check on winter deliveries that may have sat in an unheated van.
Packaging is also changing. In February 2026 Galderma announced EU, US and Canadian approval of a redesigned syringe for the NASHA lidocaine products (Lyft Lidocaine, Eyelight and Classyc Lidocaine), with a cushioned finger grip, a thumb rest and colour-coded packaging. The release gave no market-by-market dates, so older and newer presentations may both be in circulation. If a box looks unfamiliar, ask your supplier for batch details before you use it. You can see the Restylane fillers we currently stock in one place.
The Kysse leaflet, for example, states that the gel must not be injected intravascularly, and that injection should stop immediately if you see skin blanching or the patient reports unusual pain or changes in vision. The Skinboosters leaflets list known hypersensitivity to HA fillers, or to lidocaine and other amide-type local anaesthetics, among the contraindications. They also restrict use to authorised personnel under local legislation, with appropriate training and knowledge of the relevant anatomy.
HA gels can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which is a prescription-only medicine. Your access to a prescriber, your emergency protocol and your complications training should all be settled before the first syringe is opened.
Neither is better across the board. Juvéderm is the Allergan Aesthetics HA range and Restylane is Galderma's, and both run from soft to firm gels. A fair comparison is product against product for one indication, looking at gel firmness, flexibility, the plane the IFU specifies and your own experience with the product.
Across the range the IFUs cover wrinkle and fold correction, lip enhancement, cheek augmentation and, for Eyelight, infraorbital hollowing. Skinboosters are used for skin smoothness and elasticity. Each product has its own indication and injection depth, so read the leaflet for the specific syringe.
They do different jobs. Restylane fillers are stabilised gels used to add volume, support and shape. Profhilo is a bioremodelling HA injectable used for skin quality and is not designed to volumise or contour. The closer comparison within the Restylane family is Skinboosters.
It depends on the product, area, volume and patient. In the study data quoted in the IFUs, 78.0% of Refyne subjects maintained a clinically significant improvement at 36 weeks and 62.3% at 48 weeks, and 69.8% of Defyne subjects did so at 48 weeks in nasolabial folds. Treat these as study outcomes, not promises to give a patient.
Think of Restylane as two toolkits. NASHA gels (Restylane, Lyft, Eyelight and Skinboosters) are firm and precise. OBT gels (Refyne, Defyne, Volyme and Kysse) are softer and move with the face. Match firmness to the plane, flexibility to the amount of movement, follow the IFU in your pack, and store the stock at room temperature away from frost and sunlight.
