What to Expect with Radiesse
Photo of actual patient, Kathryn, age 55. Source: http://www.radiesse.com/photos/
Radiesse is a volumizing filler that diminishes lines and wrinkles around the midface and mouth. Radiesse works underneath the skin by acting as a scaffold, providing structure and stimulating your own natural collagen to grow. When we age, our face loses suppleness. Radiesse replaces lost volume, resulting in a more youthful appearance.
We recently had a patient come in for Radiesse treatment, so we thought we’d share her experience (with her permission) so that others could know what to expect.
The first part of the visit was the consultation with Dr. Yoo. The patient had some jowling along her jawline that she wanted corrected. The ultimate treatment for jowling is surgery, which lifts the underlying muscle and skin. But, Radiesse can disguise it by filling in front of it, making the jawline appear smoother.
Dr. Yoo also recommended filling in her temporal hollows. Most patients don’t come in saying, “Can you fill my temples?” but the results are striking.
After the patient gave consent for treatment, she removed her makeup. Then, Dr. Yoo cleaned the areas to be injected with alcohol pads.
Next, Dr. Yoo injected Radiesse strategically along her jawline and also in her temporal hollows.
One of the nice things about Radiesse is that it doesn’t sting when injected, like acid-based injectables can. So, we don’t need to use any numbing cream, which can sometimes make you feel like you just went to the dentist. The patient said she felt the initial needle poke, but that’s it.
After Dr. Yoo injected the Radiesse, he massaged it into the “shape” he wanted. When Radiesse is underneath the skin, it’s a lot like silly putty. You can mold it.
When asked how she felt afterwards, the patient reported feeling tenderness when she used her jaw muscles. Dr. Yoo explained that this is expected with temporal injections because of the muscular relationship between the jaw and the temple. She also said the temporal filling was “noisy.” Dr. Yoo explained that is the sound of the needle passing through various fascial layers.
We could see the results immediately, but Dr. Yoo warned the patient that post-procedure swelling (which is totally normal) might eclipse the results for a day or two.
A week later, the patient came back for a routine follow-up visit with Dr. Yoo. The swelling was gone, the results were fantastic and the patient was happy.
Interested in learning how Radiesse would work for you? Call us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Yoo.
