How long does it take for the effects of Radiesse to begin to fade?

Answers

Replied on 11/4/2009

By: About Face Aesthetic Centers, LLC | Dr. Leslie Pickens
Alexandria, VA

The initial reaction with any dermal filler is swelling. Part of the correction your wife may have been seeing immediately after injection may have been due to this swelling or even anesthesia if that was used. Radiesse is a calcium-containing product in a water-based gel. The water gets reabsorbed over time. Unlike other fillers, Radiesse stimulates the body's own collagen growth so the affects may improve later. Often physicians will have the client return 2 weeks after injection to assess the real outcome after everything settles down. What determines the best response is if the client gets full correction. The client should be prepared for a sculpting over a couple sessions, not necessarily a single treatment day. These implants are reabsorbed gradually over time; in this case in about 1 year.

Replied on 10/26/2009

By: Colorado Laser Clinic | Robert T. Motazedi, MD
Colorado Springs, CO

I need more information regarding your wife's condition. I need to know what you mean by "unhappy with the results." Radiesse is advertised to last about one year, but we have seen it disappear in six months in certain patients.

Replied on 10/13/2009

By: LazaDerm Skincare Centre | Dr. Lornell E. Hansen, II M.D.
Sioux Falls, SD

Radiesse is a combination of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHa) and a
water based gel carrier. The two ingredients are injected together but
act differently. The gel carrier is only present to get the CaHa in
the skin. The gel carrier begins to be absorbed by the body leaving
only the CaHa. The CaHa is then left behind to cause increased
collagen. Usually the gel carrier is reabsorbed faster in some like
your wife. Most patients will take up to 6 weeks for the gel carrier
to go away. I would recommend that your wife give it some time to
allow her own soft tissues to increase which will take 6 to 12 weeks.
If she is not happy at that time she will need to talk to the provider
that injected her.

Replied on 10/13/2009

By: Bella Luce MediSpa | Michael A. Lawton, MD
Huntington Beach, CA

The product is gradually broken down the body, but probably won't be visually apparent for several months. And it does last upwards of a year. If it's a matter of the result looking lumpy or uneven, sometimes even at two weeks it can be massaged to try and achieve a more even appearance.

Replied on 10/13/2009

By: Gia Laser Aesthetic Center | Dr. Jeffrey Kronson
Claremont, CA

Radiesse has been FDA approved to last for one year and I have found this to be accurate.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Ajuva Medical Spa | Dr. Debra Ravasia, MD & Dr. John Bullis, MD
Spokane, WA

After 2 weeks, most of the swelling should have subsided, although there still may be some. I would recommend giving it another two weeks to go down some. After that initial month, you are pretty much stuck with those results, unless you feel more filler could be added to give a better result. Over the next several months, it does change a bit. The implant is slowly replaced by your body's own new collagen and it begins to soften and look
more smooth. The increased volume, however, usually remains for up to one year.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Cosmetic Laser MD | Susan Stevens Tanne, M.D.
Livingston, NJ

Radiesse does last about one year and cannot be easily "undone". The product, however, is moldable for the first few weeks. Your wife may need some local anesthetic, but then some saline (salt water) can be injected into the treated area, making the Radiesse a bit easier to work with and re-model. After about one year there is a gradual reduction of product in the treated area, but for the first 10 - 12 months, the product remains. You
should contact the physician who injected the Radiesse and return to the office for a follow-up to discuss your concerns.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Aspen Medical Aesthetics and Laser Clinic | Dr Chris Knuth
Mequon, WI

The effects of Radiesse will gradually fade over one to two years. However, after the intital injection there is a time of swelling followed by softening that occurs over six to eight weeks. One cannot judge the effects of an injection until six to eight weeks have passed.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Mountain View Dermatology | Richard G. Levine, M.D.
Boulder, CO

Radiesse can last two years.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Eppley Plastic Surgery/Ology Medical Spas | Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
Carmel, IN

Radiesse is one of the longer lasting injectable fillers. It is marketed and promoted that it lasts a year or longer. While this may be true for some patients, my experience is that it will often not last quite that long. It is gradually absorbed so its resolution is a low but steady process but you will likely not see any kind of change for several months. Depending upon what her unhappiness with it is would determine whether time or some other active intervention may be useful. The most benign thing to do is to allow the problem to resolve itself through the natural biologic process. This is what is recommended most of the time because its resolution is assured without creating any other problems or concerns. It is also possible to hurry this process along with some very low dose steriod injections and massage which will shorten how long it persists in the body. But there are some potential drawbacks with this approach, including the risk of infection and ultimate tissue irregularities. I would discuss these options with the treating physician.

Replied on 10/12/2009

By: Forever Young Med Spa | South Florida's #1 Medical Spa!
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Radiesse can last up to year or longer. When you say she is unhappy with her results I'll assume since you are waiting for the Radiesse to fade that your wife was overfilled (over corrected) or the injection plane was too shallow. Radiesee requires more skill/training then do the H.A. fillers like Restylane. The only way to quickly correct an overfill is to use a larger gauge needle and then try and expel the Radiesse through the puncture site or simply to wait and allow nature to take its course. Within a few months your wife should notice a decrease as the product will gradually fade.