Ten years of Radiesse

Radiesse first came to the United States about 10 or 12 years ago as Radiance FN.  Due to trademarking issues the name was changed to Radiesse.  The chemical composition of the material is calcium hydroxylapatite particles suspended in a water based gel carrier.  The initial claims by the manufacturer were that the material would last 4-5 years once injected.  Our clinical experience over the ensuing few years made it clear that the product was persisting for somewhere between 12 and 18 months depending on where it was injected.  To the company's credit, much free product was distributed to Plastic Surgeons to reinject our patients that we had promised 4-5 years of effect. 

In your case, it sounds like the shorter duration will act to your benefit.  Injecting around the lower eyelids is precarious, at best, as you now well know, and I do not reccommend Radiesse for the tear trough area in my patients.  Vigorous massaging of the treated areas may help to hasten the absorption of the product.   Lumps and bumps may be camouflaged with the injection of either Restylane or Juvederm around them to even out the area.  If they persist beyond one y

Radiesse is a great product when used properly. For the cheeks and nasolabial creases, it is excellent. This is because it can be placed in a deeper dermal plane and maintains its volume for 6 to 12 months. For thinner skin areas, such as around the eyes, I would recommend a hyaluronic acid product such as Juvederm or a collagen product such as Evolence. These products are softer and conform better in the thinner tissue around the eyes. Another option is fat grafting or fat transfer. In this procedure, we take fat from your abdomen or thighs and inject the cells underneath your skin. The fat tends to be softer, especially when injected with the microinjection method.

Now that you already have the Radiesse injected around your eyes and have "bumps" there really is not effective remedy.

4 of 6 found this helpful

Helpful?

Contact the doctor

I am sorry for your problems. Radiesse should last for about 12 months and the easiest way to soften the lumpy appearance is with massage.

My big concerns with any of the synthetic fillers when considering correction of the tear trough is visibility and inadequate correction.

The skin over the tear trough is very thin, so any filler has to be smooth and colorless. The hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane and Juvederm) can give a blue color under the skin and Radiesse is lumpy as described above.

The best filler is fat, because it is the same color as the fat under the skin, it is natural and you have enough volume (3-5cc per eye) to adequately correct the depression.

2 of 2 found this helpful

Helpful?

Contact the doctor

Radiesse usually lasts a year or longer. Because the eye skin is very thin, it is not uncommon for it to be noticeable.  This happens with  many fillers around the eyes if it is injected too superficially.

2 of 5 found this helpful

Helpful?

Contact the doctor