949 replies to this topic

[L0VE]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has injected themselves with a filler - not a physician - but self-inject. Specifically, Restylane or Perlane.


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This thread is about ordering Dermal Fillers.. such as Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, and Radiance (Radiesse) from Canada to treat acne scars.

Legitimate Canadian pharmacies provide these fillers over the counter, without a prescription to US residents. They do *not* provide them to Canadian residents without a prescription.

To verify that a Canadian pharmacy is legitimate, make sure you verify them through the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.. "CIPA"..

You can verify pharmacies at CIPA through this link:
http://www.ciparx.ca/pages/verify_membership.html

I'm updating this post to include some common questions which have been asked throughout in this thread. Hopefully you can find the basics here.

What follows is NOT medical advice. It is a collection of information which several people have contributed to, based on their personal experience with injecting. You should always first consult your OWN medical doctor and follow their advice, first and foremost.

Basics:

Do you need a prescription for Restylane?
NO.
Is it legal to purchase Restylane in the U.S.?
YES. It is legal.
Where is it available?
At legitimate online pharmacies based in Canada. Make certain the pharmacy is CIPA certified.
I live in the US, can I order it?
Yes.
I live in Canada, can I order it?
No.
I live outside the US, can I order it?
No.
How do I get it, if I live outside the US?
This would be illegal. Do not do it.
What's Restylane made of?
Hyaluronic Acid, all natural, non-synthetic.
What are 2 basic kinds of Restylane for scars?
Restylane-Regular and Perlane. Both are Restylane, just different types.
What's the difference?
The size of the HA molecule.
Perlane has the largest molecule. Therefore, is thicker. Lasts approx. 4-6 months.
Restylane Regular is average molecule. Not as thick as Perlane. Lasts approx. 3 months.
What type do I use?
Restylane is good enough to lift most scars.
Perlane for stubborn scars that are difficult to level.
What kinds of scars does it work on?
Rolling. Boxcar.
Will it work on icepick scars?
No.
How much do I need?
Restylane comes in .5ml and 1ml.
How much does it cost?
Restylane Reg and Perlane are both about $150 USD per .5 ml.
How much are injections at the doctor?
Approx. $300-$700 USD, depends where you live.. could be more or less.


Needles:

How many needles come in the box?
One for .5ml Restylane. Two for 1ml Perlane.
How long does a needle last?
About 30 pricks.
Can I get replacement needles?
Yes, but you should NOT need them.
Where can I get them?
Try allegromedical.com
How do I know my needle type?
There is peel off label attached to the needle when you get it.
It's usually yellow or silver.
Where?
http://www.imed.com
http://www.allegromedical.com

Storage:

How do I store it?
In an airtight container with a clean paper towel inside to absorb any residual moisture.
How long can I store it?

Refer to the box for instructions.

Note: Although it is legal to purchase many dermal fillers from legitimate, certified pharmacies, you should first consider scheduling an appointment with a board certified Dermatologist and/or Cosmetic Surgeon. It is important to fully educate yourself on the proper usage of dermal fillers and proceed with caution.

There will be no medical advice provided in this thread - only a sharing of experiences with dermal fillers. If you are seeking medical advice, please contact a physician.

Edited by L0VE, 13 May 2011 - 10:03 AM.

[oldguy]

Hi, I am going to try Perlane or Restylane myself pretty soon. I have not decided which one, yet. Probably Restylane, since it works best for more superficial indentations, and I have had a doc do it twice. He did a poor job the second time. About cost, Pete: You can get a syringe full for about 200 US from Canada, and docs charge anywhere from 400-1000, so it would be cost effective unless someone missed their scars badly. I suppose it would be a bit obvious to say don't try this at home.

[Shyana]

Hey just checking in to see how this forum is going. Glad to see you Meet Pete and Old Guy!

The manufacture has given injection techniques. Last I looked online this info was available. Restylane will absorb(with time), so if you over fill the area it is not such a big deal. The important thing is to watch for side effects and to avoid major blood vessels and nerve tracts this being too deep. Ulcerations of the injection site can occur (not common) and will need medical attention.

[tj101]

Hey just checking in to see how this forum is going. Glad to see you Meet Pete and Old Guy!

...so good to see you posting here again!

[Colonel Angus]

Just commenting here but wouldn't saline injections be best to start with? You could at least get a feel for how deep and how much and maybe you might see enough improvement with the saline that you won't need the more expensive stuff.

[Shyana]

Hey just checking in to see how this forum is going. Glad to see you Meet Pete and Old Guy!

...so good to see you posting here again!

Hey tj101, thanks! Just dropping by. I will add a post to Pete's and then then off to play. lol Hope your skin is improving and you are enjoying life. Take care Shyana

[Jenya]

Just commenting here but wouldn't saline injections be best to start with?  You could at least get a feel for how deep and how much and maybe you might see enough improvement with the saline that you won't need the more expensive stuff.

Yeah great suggestion Colin.
You can practice with saline as is a fool proof method, if you over inject it will subside in 10-20 min.

[Shyana]

Hey just checking in to see how this forum is going. Glad to see you Meet Pete and Old Guy!

The manufacture has given injection techniques. Last I looked online this info was available. Restylane will absorb(with time), so if you over fill the area it is not such a big deal. The important thing is to watch for side effects and to avoid major blood vessels and nerve tracts this being too deep. Ulcerations of the injection site can occur (not common) and will need medical attention.

Hey Shyana where have you been all this time, for some reason I have this vision of you as a blonde brazilian surfergirl riding waves on californian beaches maybe thats what you have been doing. Anyhooooo now that your back maybe you can tell us all where we can buy genuine 50-100% TCA. Do you remember Reilly, any chance you know where she got her 100% TCA from? Ive been posting pics of my own TCA experiment on another thread but the 50% TCA seems very weak or maybe I was expecting too much. My 50% TCA experiment

Hey Pete that is is exactly what I have been doing!

Wow you have been busy since last we talked. I think from the looks of your pictures you got the frosting of a 50%TCA peel. However that does not mean it went deep. The fact that you only frosted for 15-20 minutes is a good indicator. Deeper peeling will have frosts that can last up to an hour. Any frosting lasting over an hour is a serious problem and damaging the skin. I freaked out when I read some kid here had a frost for 3 days and did not seek a doctor. The deeper the burn the less you feel because your nerves are fried. Medical attention is needed.

Many factors affect peel penetration (I can't go into that now) . Men have as a general rule thicker skin and tolerate deeper peeling with higher percent acids..

Did you use acetone prior to peeling? Acetone will help penetration. If done properly acetone can remove the stratum corneum (top layer of skin for those who don't know). This is very important.

After acetone a Jessners is often applied to futher remove the top layers so the TCA can reach the papillary dermis. The hope is just to reach the top or lower papillary(depending on what debth of peel you are going for) and not the reticular dermis where scarring Will occur if damaged. Most doctors will not do over 35% TCA these days. Too many variables at play

The phenols are much better for that. But combining methods can help improve the chances of lessening scar appearance.

Some are

Jessners followed with 35% TCA and then sandabrasion (sterilized sand paper applied after TCA frost has subsided) This method requires knowledge of the skins layers best done by a doctor. The skin will have a topical anesthetic applied. The Exoderm peel uses this method with a slight different mode and uses a modified phenol acid. Plus there is systemic anesthesia.

Jessners follow with TCA then scar dermaroller or other various needling. The skin is numbed before acid application. Using topical anesthesia is risky because you can't feel the depth of the acids so you will need to understand the acids you are using, each acid is different.

Pete I am just telling everyone this I know you know this stuff.

IMO the best method is using soft tap tools(or a tattoo gun) after the scar dermaroller, after a TCA peel like 20-25%. You then can do successive treatments over say a year and have a much better outcome JMO.

The TCA Cross method can also be modified for example using a lower acid percent and then the soft tap and or scar dermaroller over it. TCA is not a great collagen inducer but combining this with needling can work.

Pete you may want to check out research on collagenase inhibitors for you since your skin breaks down collagen fairly rapidly. Or even adding extra proline/lysine and L'ascorbic acid prior and post treatments may help you produce collagen.

As far as TCA I get mine form a compounding pharmacy. On Ebay I think the Esthetician's Choice looks like the real deal. I have heard about this in my circle of professionals. But have no experience with it. I remember Riley but just can't remember her TCA.

Thanks for the hello and I hope we keep in touch. Bye for now

[troubleface]

I just bought me Restylane from Canada pharmacy online about a week ago for 200$ for 1 ml. I just recieve it two days but finally muster the courage to inject myself. After reading up on how to self inject and reading the pamplet they give you. It's pretty much easy to do. It comes in a syringe and all you have to do is twist the needle on. Once the needle is twisted on push the top until you see a little bit of restylane come out. Now your ready to self inject!!

Once you do that find the depression in your face and go with the needle half way in. My right cheek is depress because of a cyst I had when I was a teenager and punch float - dermasanding didn't help it one bit. I didn't dare go all the way in but if you do it too superficial you will get a lump in your face, too deep and you won't see results. There will be some resistence at first so you have to slowly ease the needle in. Then i push the top of the syringe to make the restylane come out, don't be afraid to push down on it and slowly pull out you will slowly feel a very weird sensation feeling in your face. That is because Restylane is being injected.

The depression on my face is completely gone and I think I still got .7 CC left quite a bit of restylane for touch up. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone and there are some major warnings if you don't know what your doing. Also if you inject too superficial it will leave a lump in your face until it dissolves, too deep and you won't see result and be sure not to inject a vein. Do not inject an icepick scar, this is for people with depression and pock mark in your face.

If your having a tight budget like me from too much acne scar treatment, this is the best way to do it.

[dance]

Hi troubleface,
Thanks for sharing the information. For those good at self-injecting this does sound like a very cost-efficient option. One thing you said concerned me though... I'm no expert here, but if you screwed a needle directly onto a syringe and injected some of the contents, I think it might not be sanitary to keep the remaining syringe contents. You might get an infection if you used the same syringe on another day. What do you think? (I was thinking this because it's usually possible to draw some air or fluid into a syringe...)

The depression on my face is completely gone and I think I still got .7 CC left quite a bit of restylane for touch up.

[troubleface]

Hi troubleface,
Thanks for sharing the information. For those good at self-injecting this does sound like a very cost-efficient option. One thing you said concerned me though... I'm no expert here, but if you screwed a needle directly onto a syringe and injected some of the contents, I think it might not be sanitary to keep the remaining syringe contents. You might get an infection if you used the same syringe on another day. What do you think? (I was thinking this because it's usually possible to draw some air or fluid into a syringe...)

The depression on my face is completely gone and I think I still got .7 CC left quite a bit of restylane for touch up.

Oh aite I see what you mean, yea I don't really know, I guess you can reuse it? Cause I know at the derm they keep the remaining syringe content and use it to touch up later for you when you return to their office for a touch up. So I guess its okay to reuse it? Unless you want to be on the safe side and keep shelling out 200$ each time you use a syringe because its comes ready to inject. Maybe we can have someone else opinon on this?

But yea I will not reuse the needle. The syringe comes with a protective cover that has no needle attached. I just followed the instruction in the pamplet. I removed the protective cap that came with it. The package comes with two 30 g needles which I removed the protective plastic and screw on the needle to the syringe, I then took the needle off the syringe when i was done and rescrew on the protective cap that came with it. I didn't reuse the needle. I got 100 extra 30 g needles that I bought for self needling.

Edit: Ok i read the pamphlet again, everything has to be discarded after use it is in bold letters. I guess its best this way, so it would cost you 200$ to retouch every 3~6 months or 50$ for the chinese brand. Hey Pete where did you find the Amazing Fill for 50$, I try asking Canada pharmacy and they don't have it. 50$ is a very good deal for a touch up on depressions and pock marks.

[troubleface]

Now we know why Chinese dermal fillers are so cheap.

"Following a pattern evident in other areas of the country's spectacular economic development, the space programme is benefiting from technology tried out in other countries but applied more cheaply in China. Government officials said the cost of the Shenzhou VI space mission was 900m yuan (£63m), a fraction of the cost of earlier American and Russian space missions."

Wow thats a pretty cheap trip lol.

I look up the cost of the chinese filler, it cost 80$ for 1 cc, you must buy a pack of 10 which will cost 800$. Restylane on the other hand cost 200$ for 1 ml but you can buy cheaper the touch up one for 160 for 5 cc or just 5 cc for 145$. It is still a lot cheaper to buy Restylane if you need to inject more then 3 cc like me.

[jeffh]

You guys have more guts than I do...If a dermatologist screws up sometimes, what do you think will happen when you try it?

[troubleface]

You guys have more guts than I do...If a dermatologist screws up sometimes, what do you think will happen when you try it?

Sure its a risk if you don't know what your doing but it's not like i'm rushing out and injecting it without research. I research on how to inject and my results came out fabulous, plus you can get a video at their website if your unsure but its pretty straight forward.

A dermatologist screw up my face in the first place, I have tons of depressions that I never had before and large pores... This is my personal experience don't ever go to a dermatologist, go to a plastic surgeon but find one that cares about really helping you out. There are some Docs that are after your money only and in the end your face will get screwed. Wish I can turn back the hand of time, I'll be more satisfied if I never had surgery.

[CanIGetOverIt?]

Hi, I just wondered if anyone has any updates on the subject of sef-injecting fillers - good, bad or other results?? Anyone ever try the Chinese fillers?
Thanks!

[troubleface]

i got good results from Restylane self injecting. Haven't tried the chinese product yet.

[troubleface]

A dermatologist screw up my face in the first place, I have tons of depressions that I never had before and large pores...

TroubleFace, Congrats on your good results trying the procedure yourself!!!
Can I ask, did you inject your large pores as well? Just wondering if that would work, or if it would in effect be like injecting an ice pick scar and getting a donut-shaped lump. Also, you mentioned you stuck the needle in half way. Not sure how long the accompanying needle is, but am wondering what the pain is like. I'm pretty tough as long as I'm in control of taking a break when I need to. The Restylane web site states that it's not that painful unless injected in the lips, but wondered if you found the non-lip procedure pretty tolerable? Some people on another message board said it really hurt like hell when their doc did it.
I purchased Restylane last week and am waiting its arrival. I self-needled 3 x earlier this year with about a 20% permanent improvement. It didn't really hurt much at all and I had no problems healing very quickly. I'm hoping my Restylane experience will be comparable pain-wise but with a bigger improvement in results!
As far as any risk goes, I know how to give injections and prevent infection. And if you accidentally hit a vein, Restylane is only hylauronic acid which can be injected into the bloodstream with no side effects, and is often done so intentionally to ease joint pain (just don't inject an air bubble! <---bad, very bad). If I give myself lumps by injecting too shallowly, then I'm an idiot with only myself to blame!

Anyway, thanks for documenting your experiences and advice!

I didn't inject my pores because I have a lot of large pores... I just inject my large depressions that I have on my face only. You'll see how long the needle it when you get your Restylane. Strangely I didn't feel any pain when injecting..

[Baz]

Sorry fellas, but I think you are all crazy trying out this unattended shit. Save your money, beg, steal or borrow until you can afford to have done whatever it is that needs to be done by an EXPERT; from what I have read here Dr. Yarborough in the US on Dr. Chu in the UK.

[SuzanneHopes]

Sorry fellas, but I think you are all crazy trying out this unattended shit. Save your money, beg, steal or borrow until you can afford to have done whatever it is that needs to be done by an EXPERT; from what I have read here Dr. Yarborough in the US on Dr. Chu in the UK.

I did have a Plastic surgeon inject Radiesse last year, he pretty much missed every scar..not to mention I had a huge linear shaped lump ..it isnt so easy to find a PS who actually gives a shit, they always have an excuse why it didnt work out..and it's never their fault. In reality..a PS is NOT going to tell you he has never injected filler before..he would lose Big $$$...it is very difficult to know who is an injection expert... I am sick and tired of being their trial and error Experiment. But this is just me...

Anyways...I also ordered Restylane from Canada pharmacy (Thank you so much!!!, Mues Vita and OldGuy for your tips :-) and.. after staring at that litte Blue box for 2 weeks, I finally got the courage to injected it myself...lol
The needle (you get 2 needles) is only 1/2 long and very thin...at first, it was a little scary and awkward to self inject. To my amazement, It didnt hurt at all! The hardest part was watching what the needle was doing as I pressed on the syringe. It almost felt like I needed 4 hands, but after a few trys it was easy! I spread the injections over a period of 2 nights because my face started burning and I got a nervous that I screwed up. After a few hours, to my relief the burning stopped...the next day my cheeks were slightly red but I could see a huge improvement in my scars...2 days after my final round the redness AND my scars were gone!!! I saved myself at least $800, doing it myself and I am VERY PLEASED with the results. :-)

This took alot less filler than I thought. I still have 3/4 of ml left. I for one am not going to throw out the remaining Restylane...the needle I used is dull, I have 1 needle left...now I must search out where to buy new needles.

[breezehaven]

I'm glad it worked out for you. But it sounds scary and dangerous. At least you didn't botch it up where it would cost thousands to fix, if even be repairable. That scares me.