With the evolution in the use of injectable fillers through years of experience in their use for facial rejuvenation, a similar development of improved products has occurred. This has expanded the versatility of the injector, who is no longer limited to just correcting lines and wrinkles. More and more, the goal of both client and clinician is to correct for loss of volume in the face, the product of aging, sun damage, and even gravity. Radiesse has proven to be an indispensable tool in re-creating a more youthful appearance both in restoring lost volume and in many cases, allowing the physician to ‘sculpt’ the facial anatomy to create a desirable appearance that may be an embellishment of the client’s features. Unlike the more commonly used fillers which are hyaluronic acid derivatives, Radiesse contains calcium hydroxylapatite. The advantage is that this product simply lasts longer, but yet is not permanent in nature. Radiesse is available in an overfilled 1.6ml syringe which, when mixed with a tiny amount of anesthetic, gives me the equivalent volume of nearly two syringes of the hyaluronic acid fillers. With this larger volume and with its longer duration, Radiesse is actually quite economical to use.

I have had much success with Radiesse, which I administer typically by deeper injection which magnifies the effective improvement in facial volume and also allows it to serve as a platform upon which more superficial injection of other fillers may rest, when they are needed. Though my favorite use of Radiesse is in restoring volume loss in the upper face to improve that ‘hollow’, tired look under the eyes, and to create a nicely defined cheek structure, I have used Radiesse in many other places. It can be used with great success to treat nasolabial folds, marionette lines, above the lip for vertical creases, and to straighten the jaw line. Practitioners are constantly expanding the method of injection and the areas treated, which have expanded to regions beyond just the face.