Beyond Botox: A Shot At Beauty Heaven

Now that Botox has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, fans of cosmetic quick fixes are buzzing about the next miracle injectable. It's Restylane, a synthetic hyaluronic acid that, like collagen, can fill in facial lines and plump up lips. It's already a hit in Europe and Canada, though its maker has yet to seek approval in the U.S. But last week it completed its U.S. clinical study, and the results were impressive. Restylane outperformed a collagen-based substance by a 6-to-1 ratio. Unlike collagen, which lasts only about three months for some patients, Restylane can last six months or longer, doctors say. And because it's a non-animal-based gel created in the lab (bovine collagen is made from cow tissue), it doesn't cause allergic reactions, as collagen does in a few patients. That means no waiting six weeks for allergy-test results before you can try it. "It will be a boon for the patient who says, 'I have a wedding in two weeks,'" says Dr. Rhoda S. Narins, a New York dermatologic surgeon who conducted some of the tests of Restylane. Beauty enthusiasts are downright giddy. "I've yet to hear anyone say anything negative about it," says Wendy Lewis, a cosmetic-surgery consultant in New York City who has used Restylane herself. The Swedish manufacturer of Restylane, Q-Med, plans to seek FDA approval next month and is hoping for a U.S. launch next spring. But true beauty junkies won't be waiting that long. Some U.S. doctors are bringing back bootleg Restylane--or having patients do it--and charging up to $1,000 a shot. --By Charla Krupp