Radiesse Can Be Nightmare if Injected in Wrong Places

Iwas a "filler virgin" and did not do much research until after the damage was done. Not smart. In February, 2009 I went to a clinic where the doctor (GP) specialized in schlerotherapy. He had zapped my leg veins over the years so I trusted him with my face. He injected 3 syringes of radiesse in nasolabial folds, marionette lines and cheek bones. I was semi - pleased with the results in these areas even though I had significant bruising that lasted 2 weeks and I could always feel the material - it felt like underground acne for months.Now for the nightmare part: The doctor also filled some small vertical wrinkles around my lips. For the next week I was very swollen, so I could not see the final results. After the swelling went down, I was horrified that I could actually see the radiesse through my skin in all the areas injected above and below my lips. It looked like white toothpaste just below my skin.I went back to the doctor 3 different times in 3 weeks. Each time the doctor frantically massaged the lumps, pounded on my lips, heated the skin around my lips, sliced open the lumps with a needle and tried to "milk" out the filler. Nothing helped. I massaged the lumps daily - like it was my full time job - but that didn't seem to help either.After 6 weeks of stressing and hiding from the world, I went to a plastic surgeon for advice. This doctor injected perlane around my lips to hide the radiesse lumps. The lip procedure made me look relatively normal for a few months. By July, the perlane started to dissipate and one of the radiesse lumps (the largest one) was very noticeable again.So...I am still waiting it out. It has been 7 months now since the radiesse was injected. The one lump that is still there is only noticeable under bright lights. My nightmare is almost over. Moral of the story: I would NEVER get radiesse injected in tiny lines or thin skin. It is too thick and visible if not injected deeply. It is also almost impossible to remove. My nasolabial folds and marionette lines still look pretty good - so I would agree that Radiesse lasts at least 6 or 7 months -- longer than most fillers. However, the longevity of this filler has a serious downside.