What it is
RHA stands for Resilient Hyaluronic Acid — a family of HA fillers from Revance manufactured with a process that preserves longer HA chains and uses less chemical cross-linking than other filler families. The clinical claim, supported by the FDA approval language, is that RHA fillers are designed to mimic the natural HA in skin, which lets them stretch and recover with facial movement.
This is the only HA filler family FDA-approved in the United States specifically for the correction of dynamic wrinkles and folds — lines and creases that worsen with expression, not just lines visible at rest. The distinction matters in the perioral region and along the nasolabial folds, where every smile, every word, and every chew moves the filler.
The RHA family includes:
- RHA 2 — fine to moderate dynamic wrinkles
- RHA 3 — moderate to severe dynamic wrinkles and folds (similar density to Vollure)
- RHA 4 — severe dynamic wrinkles and folds, deeper placement for contour and lift
- RHA Redensity — superficial perioral lines (etched lipstick lines)
How Dr. Brown approaches it
RHA at Esvie is selected when the anatomic target is in motion. A nasolabial fold that crinkles with every smile, perioral lines that deepen when the patient speaks, marionette lines that move with chewing — these are RHA’s home territory. The product flexes with the tissue and tends to feel and look more integrated in dynamic zones than firmer, more cross-linked HA fillers.
Dr. Brown selects the specific RHA product by depth and severity. RHA Redensity is placed superficially for etched perioral lines. RHA 2 and 3 are placed in the mid-dermal to subdermal plane for moderate dynamic correction. RHA 4 is reserved for deeper structural placement in the lower face and jawline angle.
Typical first treatment uses one to two syringes depending on areas treated. Combination plans across the RHA family — for example, RHA 4 in the jawline angle and RHA 2 in the perioral lines — are common in patients addressing the full lower face.
Every syringe is placed by Dr. Brown.
What to expect
Day of treatment: Topical numbing for ~20 minutes. RHA products contain lidocaine for placement comfort. The visit runs 30–45 minutes.
Immediately after: Result is visible right away. Mild swelling is normal for 24–72 hours. Bruising risk is real, particularly along the perioral region; small bruises typically resolve within 7–10 days.
Two weeks: Filler integrates with surrounding tissue. The two-week look is the result you booked for.
Aftercare: Avoid pressing or massaging treated areas for one week. Avoid strenuous exercise and alcohol for twenty-four hours.
Candidacy
Good candidates have dynamic lines and folds that worsen with expression, want a filler that integrates naturally with movement, and are willing to plan one to two weeks before any photographed event. RHA is one of the better-tolerated HA filler families in highly dynamic regions.
Not a candidate if your concern is deep structural midface volume loss requiring maximum lift — Voluma’s higher G-prime is engineered for that indication. Not a candidate if you are pregnant or nursing or have active skin infection at the planned site.
If RHA is not the right product for you, Dr. Brown will name the one that is. Often the right plan combines RHA in dynamic zones with Voluma or Vollure in structural ones — different tools for different jobs, placed in the same visit by the same hand.