“Radiesse--not necessary unless you are just testing”

I've had Radiesse twice. It was the best thing out there at the time for dermal fillers. Lasts a decent amount of time and looks natural. It's fairly costly, so don't go into it lightly.

First of all, I have to say, doctors rarely level with their patients about how long temporary fillers last. Other than Artefill, most dermal fillers disappear after some time, Radiesse lasting longer than many but still disappearing over time. And it disappears faster in areas where there is greater motion. So the first place that Radiesse goes away is in nasolabial folds—big bummer! Cheek injects last longer.

Secondly, never have Radiesse, or any other filler, injected in a thin-skinned place such as your temples. An experienced doctor will not, but mine did--I had a small lump on one temple for a few months.

Thirdly, there is some spreading of the product. You may have your cheeks injected, but some of the filler will gravitate to your eyelids--all the fillers I have had did that with me. Puffy upper eyelids--no fun and not pretty at all. Luckily this can be lessened by sleeping elevated the first three or so nights after injections.

The good news is that Radiesse is safe and if you are merely TESTING the look to see if you want permanent filler later, then it's a great option.

But if you want good price/value and if you want a real, long-term solution, skip Radiesse--you'll be throwing your money away. Now this is because Artefill, which has been used effectively in Europe for 10 years, has been approved for use in the US (Oct. 2006). It's permanent and it costs about the same.

So Radiesse to test and Artefill for the real deal--that's my best recommendation. I wish I had the money back that I spent on Radiesse so I could get Artefill instead.