If you follow aesthetics at all, you’ve surely heard of Botox and maybe Juvederm or Restylane. But you may not know about Radiesse. Radiesse is a long-lasting option for our patients with a smile and marionette lines, and other problems resulting from volume loss.
How does Radiesse work?
Many soft tissue fillers are derived from hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid naturally occurs in your body; its job is to bind with water molecules and plump and hydrate the skin. Radiesse is different in that it is comprised of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in an aqueous gel carrier and therefore is classified as a synthetic filler.
Radiesse fights the signs of aging in two ways. First, the aqueous gel instantly fills and plumps the area when injected beneath a crease or wrinkle. But that’s only the first part of its function. The hydroxylapatite microspheres stimulate the body to produce new collagen in the injection area. This occurs in the weeks following your injection and the results last for a year or more. So, while some fillers lose their function once the body absorbs them, Radiesse, because it initiates the building of new collagen, continues to show its effects even after the microspheres and gel are absorbed. Newer HA fillers like Voluma and Volbella are also longer lasting and can trigger new collagen formation.
Where is Radiesse injected?
Radiesse is a volumizing filler, meaning it is effective for replacing volume and for deeper wrinkles such as those around the mouth or for highlighting the cheekbones. Here are areas it can be used to fill in:
- Smile lines — Clinically known as nasolabial folds, these lines run from the nose down to the corners of the mouth. They are the result of decreasing facial volume and skin elasticity that comes with aging.
- Marionette lines — While these lines may help a ventriloquist and his or her dummy, you don’t need them around your mouth. These lines run straight downward from the corners of the mouth and can make you look unhappy.
- Corners of the mouth — Also known as oral commissures, the corners of your mouth can turn downward as you age and lose volume below the mouth. This phenomenon can make you look as if you’re frowning or mad.
- Pre-jowl area — The areas on each side of the chin, the pre-jowl sulcus, can hollow out due to sagging in other areas of the lower face.
- Chin wrinkles — Chin wrinkles form horizontally across the chin and can be distracting to a person talking to you. Volume loss in the lower face again is the culprit.
Were you checking off some of those items above? Maybe it’s time to give Dr. Walden a call at 512.328.4100 and ask about a Radiesse session.
