I, Dr. Jennifer Breedlove, board-certified dermatologist, will be discussing the unique filler Radiesse, made of calcium hydroxyapatite, and highlighting its benefits for cheek and jawline enhancement.
I will explain its suitability for specific age groups and areas of application, emphasizing its collagen-stimulating properties. Important points include cost, procedure, risks, and expected results.
What Is Radiesse?
Radiesse is a dermal filler that's used to treat wrinkles and folds in the face and hands, and to correct volume loss. It's made of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) gel microspheres that stimulate the body's natural collagen production.
I absolutely love it to build the cheek and jaw line; It's a very strong filler in my opinion. You can use it in the marionette lines and on the back of the hands, too.
The reason I like it is because it's a lifter. It also has one and a half cc's in it's syringe. So I do like that added benefit for patients. Radiesse is often used in a demographic who's losing, or who has already lost, a little bit of volume - so ages 35 to 60.
A Couple Warnings
There are a couple things I like to warn patients about. The first thing, is that if you ever need to get any kind of imaging on the face, because calcium is one of the components of bone, you may actually see some of this filler on an x-ray.
So I like to warn patients because radiologists could see the fillers.
I do love it because it is collagen stimulating, very similar to Sculptra. So it helps the body to create its own collagen. It’s also a convenient option because it tends to last a little bit longer than other fillers like Hyaluronic Acid.
Having said that, you would not use it in any place that is dynamic - like your lips. So this is definitely a cheeks, jawline, and hands, type of filler.
Cost
How much does it cost? That’s always a question I get from patients - and the simple answer is: it can range in price. It is a cc and a half of the vial, so you are getting a little bit more product, so this tends to be more in the mid-to-higher hundreds range for a vial.
How It Works
So Calcium Hydroxyapatite actually causes collagen to increase, and allows your skin to produce more of it. Upon injection, the Radiesse CaHA gel matrix provides immediate improvement. CaHA particles form a “scaffold” that stimulates fibroblasts to produce collagen for up to a year and elastin for up to nine months (after only one injection).
What The Procedure Is Like
Getting Radiesse is very similar to other injections. You come to the office without any makeup and we inject it in the areas that we want to target, and the results are immediate, natural, and subtle. The treatment itself lasts about 15 minutes but always allow time for paperwork. Therefore, your time spent in the office will be approximately an hour.
After the procedure, you should be good to go to return to your normal routine immediately, although we suggest you minimize strenuous activities and direct sunlight exposure for a short period of time afterwards. Walking in the early morning or later evening is okay.
The correction is long-lasting but not permanent. Over time, the CaHA microspheres break down and are metabolized by the body’s normal processes.
Associated Risks
Again, very similar to other fillers, there's potential for bleeding, swelling, bruising, itching, redness, and tenderness to the injection site.
Like Hyaluronic Acid fillers, this is a filler that you do not want to manipulate (unlike Sculptra, the filler we want you to massage).
Radius, we do not like to massage. Again, you may need to take some time away from strenuous activity with any of the fillers, so it's the same.
What To Expect After
Sculptra, as I mentioned in the last blog post, does take time for it to become effective. However, Radiesse is similar to Hyaluronic Acid fillers in that it is effective almost immediately! But certainly within the following couple of weeks, you may have some swelling.
I don't find that you get as much swelling as you do with a Hyaluronic Acid filler, but you may have some swelling afterwards, and then as that dissipates, in about one to two weeks, you'll see the ultimate results.
These results can last up to two years. So, before you receive injections, do make sure that you let your provider know if you're using any kind of blood thinners, or if you have any medical conditions.
I hope you found this helpful and I can’t wait to see you in the office and answer any of your personal questions related to the fillers we offer at Love Dermatology!
Wishing you a wonderful day ahead,
— Dr. Jennifer Breedlove, Your Trusted Dermatologist
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