Many of the patients who are seeking cosmetic enhancement today are looking for a way to get major improvement in appearance without having invasive surgery. Radiesse is often used as part of a "liquid facelift," and is often combined with other injectable products to provide a dramatically enhanced look without major surgery or significant recovery time.
Radiesse with Other Dermal Fillers
Radiesse is generally considered one of the best dermal fillers for patients who need to improve the appearance of their nasolabial folds. These lines that extend from the edges of the nose down to the mouth are sometimes called marionette lines, and can give a sunken appearance to the face. When Radiesse is injected into this area, it can fill in the nasolabial lines and reduce, and often even eliminate the wrinkles and folds in this area. Radiesse is particularly well suited to inject into this area since it is a long lasting filler (12 to 18 months, or longer) and is easy to mold into this area of the face. Radiesse is not well suited to inject into the lip area, however. Because Radiesse may form granulomas, or small bumps, in the lip area, it is not approved for injection in this area.
Dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, and Perlane are used in the lips quite successfully, and are an ideal choice for this area. Some patients who have a Radiesse treatment for the nasolabial fold area will have their lips treated with another dermal filler at the same time. The products work well together to give an improved appearance. Some patients also have one or more of the dermal fillers injected in the area underneath the eyes. Some Radiesse practitioners have used these products in the under eye area, to plump up the area and help eliminate under eye bags. However, this is an "off label" use of the products since it is not one of the FDA approved uses of the dermal fillers.
Radiesse with Botox or Dysport
Radiesse is often combined with Botox or Dysport. Both Botox and Dysport are used to reduce or eliminate wrinkles in the face. The most typical areas for Botox or Dysport injection are lines in the forehead and the crows feet at the edge of the eyes. These type of injections can easily be done during the same appointment as Radiesse treatment, and are often chosen by patients as a way to erase the wrinkles. While the dermal fillers will plump up the skin and help to replace lost volume, the Botox or Dysport will help to "freeze" the muscles in the eye and forehead area, preventing them from contracting and forming wrinkles.
Why Radiesse Combines Well
Radiesse works very well with other treatments because it fills in the major areas where volume is lost, and then the other products can be combined and used as needed for further enhancement. Radiesse is the primary component in many of the liquid face lifts being performed today because it can provide such an immediate result, allowing for the treatment provider to evaluate results as they progress through the treatments. While Radiesse is not the ideal choice to treat areas other than the nasolabial folds of the face, it does provide the longest lasting results of the temporary dermal fillers and combines very well with other products.
