Juvéderm vs. Restylane: Lips, Cheeks or Chin?

Choose by product line and treatment area first, and by brand second. Juvéderm and Restylane are both hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, but the two brands tie their gels together in different ways, so firmness and spread aren't the same. Even within Restylane alone, the firmest gel measured is more than 10 times stiffer than the softest one.

*Hyaluronic acid (HA): a gel-like substance your body already makes. Both brands are made from it.

In this article, we'll cover how the gels differ, what side-by-side studies found for lips and nasolabial folds, which line goes where, how long each tends to last, the warning signs that need care right away, and how filler fits a trip to Korea.

Quick summary

• Pick Juvéderm or Restylane by the exact product line and the area you're treating, not by the brand name alone.
• Benchmark: in an 80-person split-face study of nasolabial folds, 70% of folds treated with Juvéderm Ultra Plus still held their correction at 12 months, compared with 45% for Restylane Perlane.
• For lips, the two brands gave similar results, and Restylane Kysse used about 20% less product than Juvéderm Volbella.
• Skin turning white, gray or blue near the injection site, or any change in your vision, needs medical care right away.

Juvéderm vs. Restylane: What's Different Inside the Gel?

The difference starts with crosslinking, meaning how the HA strands are bound together into a gel. Classic Restylane and Restylane Lyft are made with a method called NASHA. In a lab comparison, these gels were the most elastic and firm, flowed the least, and tended to stay where they were placed as a compact deposit. Juvéderm Ultra gels (Hylacross technology) landed in the middle for firmness and were more cohesive.

*Cohesive: the gel particles cling together and hold as one mass.

Newer lines behave differently again. Juvéderm Voluma and Volbella use Vycross technology, which measured low to medium for cohesivity. Restylane Kysse, Defyne and Refyne use OBT technology. OBT gels are softer and stretch more, so they're used in areas that move when you smile or talk.

Here's how firm the Restylane gels measured. G' is a lab measure of stiffness, given in pascals (Pa): the higher the number, the more the gel holds its shape.

Keep in mind that firmness numbers only compare fairly between gels made the same way. That's why it's more useful to ask which line you'd get than to sum up the two brands in one sentence, such as "Juvéderm is softer."

Restylane Kysse vs. Juvéderm Volbella for Lips: Which Works Better?

For lips, the two brands gave similar results when they were tested side by side. In one comparison, 31 people received Restylane Kysse (then sold as Emervel Lips) and 29 received Juvéderm Volbella. At 6 months, lip fullness had improved in 60.0% and 57.7% of them. At 12 months, 71.4% and 76.0% were rated as looking better.

The amount used was different. The Kysse group needed an average of 1.54 mL, compared with 1.94 mL for Volbella, and a second comparison also found about 20% less product with Kysse. On the other hand, in a 225-person study of Volbella against classic Restylane (Restylane-L), the response at 3 months was 80.3% versus 70.8%, in Volbella's favor.

So with lips, it helps to decide on the look first: a more defined border or more overall volume, and how much product you're comfortable with. The brand comes after that. How much change you see depends on your own lips.

Juvéderm vs. Restylane for Nasolabial Folds, Cheeks and Chin

For nasolabial folds, one study reported a difference in how long the correction lasted. In an 80-person split-face study, each person had Juvéderm Ultra Plus on one side and Restylane Perlane on the other. At 12 months, 70% versus 45% of folds still held their correction, and 71.4% of participants preferred the Juvéderm side. That said, another split-face comparison found nearly the same 12-month results for both brands, so one study isn't the whole picture.

This table follows US FDA approvals by area. Approved areas can be different in other countries, including Korea, so they're checked product by product. At the consultation, I first look at the balance of your whole face and any left-right difference. Then I check whether the hollow sits just under the skin or deep near the bone, and the gel is chosen from there.

How Long Does Juvéderm Last Compared With Restylane?

Juvéderm and Restylane are both generally described as lasting 6 months or longer, depending on the person and the area treated.*

*Based on Cleveland Clinic information on fillers.

Pooled data give a wider view. A review of 24 studies with 1,410 people, all measured with 3D imaging, found that 60% to 86.4% of the filler remained at 12 months and 50% to 86% at 24 months. The same review linked Vycross gels, the technology behind Voluma and Volbella, more often with side effects that appear long after treatment.

Within one product, the exact spot matters too. When about 2.0 mL of Juvéderm Voluma was placed in the cheeks, the front inner cheek held its result for 24 months, the area over the cheekbone for 19 months, and the area below the cheekbone for 15 months. In a 235-person Voluma study, close to half still had their correction at 2 years. Results differ from person to person, so read these numbers as ranges rather than a promise.

Juvéderm and Restylane Side Effects: What's Normal, What's Urgent?

Swelling and bruising usually show up right after the injection and settle within a few days to a few weeks. In a lip study comparing Kysse and Volbella, lumps you could feel at the injection site showed up in 10% and 11% of people and bruising in 8% and 10%, and these reactions lasted a median of about 2 weeks. If swelling or bruising keeps getting worse or spreads, contact your provider.

Seek medical care right away if you notice any of the following, whether it's during the procedure or days later:*

*Based on US FDA guidance on dermal fillers.

• Skin near the injection site turning white, gray or blue
• Unusual pain
• Any change in your vision (go to the nearest emergency room)
• Sudden difficulty speaking, or numbness or weakness in your face, arms or legs (signs of a stroke; go to the nearest emergency room)
• Difficulty walking, vision changes, face drooping, a severe headache, dizziness or confusion (signs of a stroke; go to the nearest emergency room)

Of 411 blood vessel problems reported to the US FDA, 38% involved the lips and the area around the mouth, and 18% involved the nasolabial folds. When filler gets into a blood vessel, it can lead to skin tissue death (necrosis), stroke or blindness. A message through the consultation button doesn't replace an in-person exam.

Juvéderm or Restylane Within Your Travel Itinerary in Korea

Unless you had sedation that day, there's no need to postpone your flight home because of Juvéderm or Restylane filler. What's worth planning around is the first few days, when swelling and bruising are most likely.

It also helps to know what one visit can do. Filler is one of the treatments that changes your shape the same day. Most other treatments don't transform your face in one go and tend to bring you gradually closer to how you used to look.

Once you're home, you can send photos through the consultation button on this page with questions about how things are settling. If a reaction looks serious, such as skin color changes or a hot, spreading swelling, see a local doctor first rather than waiting for a reply.

The Bottom Line: Which Juvéderm or Restylane Line Fits You?

Your quote should name the exact product and the amount for each area, not just the brand. A line like "Juvéderm 1 mL" doesn't tell you whether it's Volbella or Voluma, so you can't compare it with another quote. Before you decide, check that these are written down:

• The exact product for each area (Volbella, Voluma, Kysse, Lyft and so on)
• How many mL go into each area, and at what depth (just under the skin or on the bone)
• Whether it's placed with a needle or a blunt-tip cannula

A good first question is: "Which line would you use for my cheeks (or lips), how many mL, and at what layer?" That one answer makes two options much easier to compare than any brand talk. Beautystone is a clinic in Seoul's Hapjeong area. When you reach out, include front and side photos of the area, plus the name and date of any filler you've had before.

Sources

• 80-person split-face study of Juvéderm Ultra Plus and Restylane Perlane in nasolabial folds, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol, 2011
• 12-month split-face comparison of three fillers in nasolabial folds, Dermatol Surg, 2012
• 60-person lip study of a Restylane Kysse gel and Juvéderm Volbella, Dermatol Surg, 2018
• Lip fullness study of Restylane Kysse and Juvéderm Volbella, Dermatol Surg, 2021
• 225-person lip study of Juvéderm Volbella and Restylane, one-year results, Dermatol Surg, 2017
• 40-person chin study of two firm fillers, Aesthet Surg J, 2026
• Elasticity and uses of HA filler gels by crosslinking method, Plast Reconstr Surg, 2013
• Cohesivity of HA fillers, Plast Reconstr Surg, 2015
• Firmness and flexibility of Restylane NASHA and OBT gels, J Drugs Dermatol, 2024
• Lab properties of 18 filler products, Plast Reconstr Surg, 2019
• How long Juvéderm Voluma lasts in different cheek areas, Dermatol Surg, 2015
• Two-year results of Juvéderm Voluma, Dermatol Surg, 2013
• Restylane Defyne in the chin, 107 people, Plast Reconstr Surg, 2022
• Restylane Eyelight for under-eye hollows, 333 people, Aesthet Surg J, 2024
• Review of 24 studies on how much filler remains over time, Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2026
• Filler side effects and blood vessel warning signs, US FDA
• Filler types, how long they last and recovery, Cleveland Clinic
• Dissolving lip filler with an enzyme injection, Cleveland Clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why does hyaluronic acid filler shrink over time?

A. Hyaluronic acid filler shrinks over time because HA is a substance your body already contains, and enzymes in your body slowly break it down. Products differ in particle size and in how tightly the gel is crosslinked, so they don't all stay for the same length of time. Areas that move a lot can feel like they lose volume sooner, and shifts in your body's fluid balance can also make the volume seem smaller.

Q. Can Juvéderm or Restylane be dissolved if I don't like it?

A. Juvéderm and Restylane can both be reduced with an enzyme injection called hyaluronidase, because both are HA fillers. The enzyme works on HA whatever layer the filler was placed in. The full result can take up to 2 weeks to show, and bruising and swelling afterward can last up to a week.

Q. Does Juvéderm or Restylane filler hurt?

A. Juvéderm and Restylane injections feel different depending on the area and the amount placed. Many of these products contain lidocaine, a numbing medicine mixed into the gel, so tell your provider beforehand if you're allergic to it. The numbing method, such as numbing cream, is decided at the visit based on the area and how sensitive you are.

Q. Juvéderm Ultra vs. Volbella: what's the difference?

A. Juvéderm Ultra and Volbella are made with different crosslinking technologies: Ultra gels use Hylacross and Volbella uses Vycross. In the US, Ultra Plus is approved for nasolabial folds, while Volbella is approved for the lips and under-eye hollows. So the choice between them usually follows the area you're treating.

Q. Is Juvéderm or Restylane used for under-eye hollows?

A. Under-eye hollows are treated with the softer lines from each brand, Juvéderm Volbella and Restylane Eyelight. In a 333-person Eyelight study, 87.4% responded at 3 months and 63.5% at 12 months. Side effects were reported in 4.9% of people treated with a needle and in 20.9% of those treated with a cannula.

Q. Juvéderm or Restylane for the chin: which one?

A. Chin filler from both brands has been studied with firm gels. Among 107 people who had Restylane Defyne in the chin, 81% responded at 12 weeks and 74% at 48 weeks. In a 40-person comparison of two firm gels, Restylane Shape and Juvéderm Volux, the amount used was nearly the same (1.86 mL and 1.85 mL), and safety didn't differ.