Radiesse is a very unique filler. It also is used for some pretty unique treatments that a lot of people aren’t aware of. Unlike most of the other dermal fillers available, Radiesse is not a hyaluronic acid, but rather it is made of Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel. What makes Radiesse unique is the ability of the product to act as a scaffold under the skin, providing structure and stimulating your own natural collagen to grow.
The production of natural collagen continues for several months, which extends beyond the initial effect of Radiesse. Results are natural looking and can last more than a year. Over time, the gel is absorbed and the body metabolizes the CaHA, leaving behind only your own natural collagen.
Radiesse is a heavier dermal filler and is therefore good for adding volume and structure and providing support to the overlying skin. It's often used to fill:
Moderate to severe creases such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines and frown lines
Enhance fullness of the cheeks and other facial contours
Can be used as a filler in earlobes to plump the lobe that has been stretched thin by heavy earrings. Filler in the earlobe can also make earring piercings appear even again.
Can be used to rejuvenate and plump aged hands. Radiesse doesn’t migrate at all, making it particularly good for the hand area.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the more interesting treatments that can be accomplished with Radiesse.
Filler for the Hands
I remember my grandmother’s hands. She would always wear this gorgeous diamond ring set in a gold flower setting. And I remember that ring contrasted with her thin skin: you could see all the veins and bones on the back of her hand. I realized this was how my hand would look eventually. While age does play a part in the breakdown of collagen and the resulting thinning and sagging of the skin, sun damage helps further this process along, and I know I don’t wear sunscreen on my hands everyday. So, it’s inevitable. My hands will be see through one day!
Fortunately the medical spa field keeps surging forward with advanced techniques using dermal fillers, and we can now get our hands filled up to produce a beautiful effect for aged skin. The dermal filer is injected into the middle of the back of the hand and massaged to blend throughout the top of the hand and knuckles. It not only fills in the wrinkles and creases, but creates a layer between the skin and underlying veins and muscle, providing volume and structure and diminishing the appearance of protruding veins and small bones. It allows just your gorgeous rings to be noticed!
Cellulite
Please, please don’t close this blog just yet and go Google “Radiesse Cellulite.” You’ll come up with Real Self forums with people screaming about how nothing really cures cellulite and injecting filler doesn’t work. It, indeed, does work for what we are using it for: dimple filling. Radiesse won’t help for cheek to knee cellulite. However, if you have several deep dimples that you want to get rid of, Radiesse, injected properly, can fill them in and can last one to two years. Getting rid of a few of those larger dimples makes a huge difference in the overall appearance of skin smoothness. But you can’t just stick the filler in and be done. This is where the artistry comes in and the advanced injection techniques our injectors use.
After researching this procedure, I have found a multitude of articles in, among many, New Beauty, Fox News Magazine, Bazaar, and multiple doctors’ websites, about this procedure being done with success throughout the country. Generally for a few dimples, you’ll need 1-3 syringes but it really depends on the depth of the dimple, and you and your aesthetician would discuss this at your complimentary consultation. And yes, we have multiple syringe discounts for Radiesse right now. So who’s in? I know I am!
Filler for the Earlobes
This is by far my most favorite jewelry area procedure. I mean really, WHO KNEW?!?
If you’ve worn big earrings in your pierced ears most of your life, you will definitely relate to this. Or, if like me, you got your ears pierced by a 17-year-old in the mall in 1984, and one hole is lower than the other, you may be interested in fixing this issue. Ear lobes also become stretched out and elongated just due to the effects of gravity, age and time, but mostly it is caused from the constant pull of earrings. And elongated or uneven holes make earrings hang somewhat crooked. It never would have occurred to be that it is possible to remedy the appearance of thinned ear lobes or crooked and elongated pierced-ear holes. But using a dermal filler in the ear lobe can create a plumping effect and add structure.
The filler adds volume to the ear lobe and helps expand and stretch the ear lobe out to a more youthful appearance, filling in any small wrinkles or creases. Fillers in the ear lobe can last longer than in any other area of the face, probably due to the lack of any muscle movement on the treated area.
And of course, as the picture that accompanies this blog illustrates, Radiesse can be used for more traditional treatment like nasolabial folds and cheek enhancement. Check out our October specials on Radiesse for hands!