{"id":14218,"date":"2020-03-31T09:58:02","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T16:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=14218"},"modified":"2023-10-12T10:44:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T17:44:15","slug":"diluted-radiesse-tighten-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/diluted-radiesse-tighten-skin","title":{"rendered":"Radiesse Is Already a Versatile Filler. Now It\u2019s Being Diluted and Used to Tighten Skin All Over the Face and Body"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chances are, you’re familiar with Radiesse<\/a>. Since gaining FDA approval in 2006, some 6 million syringes of the filler have been injected deep in the skin, to restore lost volume and correct facial wrinkles<\/a> and folds. Radiesse is frequently used to smooth smile lines, lift sunken cheeks, plump hands, and strengthen jawlines.<\/p>

Recently, however, dermatologists and facial plastic surgeons have started using Radiesse in a unique way, by diluting (or when the ratio is 1:2 or higher, hyperdiluting) it with saline or lidocaine and injecting it more superficially, to address concerns related to skin texture and laxity—think fine wrinkles, crepiness<\/a>, acne scars<\/a>, and cellulite<\/a> as well as saggy skin<\/a>. It’s being used on the face, neck, chest, arms, abdomen, legs, and buttocks. <\/p>

“I love this technique,” says Dr. Jessie Cheung<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and Chicago. “We’re not adding volume, but we see the skin tighten and shrink and become smoother.”<\/p>

Interested in Radiesse?<\/small><\/div>Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

Radiesse vs. diluted Radiesse—what’s the difference?<\/strong><\/h2>

A little refresher course on Radiesse: unlike hyaluronic acid (HA)–based filling materials like Juvéderm<\/a> and Restylane<\/a>, Radiesse works by stimulating your body to make collagen, the protein that plumps skin and keeps it smooth. The filler is made up of microspheres of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA), a substance also found in bones, that are suspended in a gel.<\/p>

Like HA fillers, Radiesse works immediately to improve the treated area. But over time, the gel is fully absorbed and the body metabolizes the CaHA microspheres, leaving behind your own natural collagen, which lasts for 18–24 months. “In its unaltered form, Radiesse holds up well against gravity, which makes it an excellent filler for areas requiring a significant amount of structure and\/or that are impacted by strong muscles, like the cheeks and jawline,” explains Dr. Heidi Waldorf<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in Nanuet, New York, who was on the consensus panel that determined the preliminary guidelines<\/a> for using hyperdiluted Radiesse.<\/p>

Depending on how much Radiesse is diluted, the material has a mild volumizing effect, at best. Instead, it creates the equivalent of a gel mesh. “This initially holds an area more taut, but over time, it acts primarily as a biostimulator to improve the tone and texture and even tighten skin,” explains Dr. Waldorf. She uses it most commonly for the cheeks, neck, and chest in patients who have severe “solar elastosis,” or damaged collagen and elastin from sun exposure.<\/p>

Tighten and smooth, from the neck down<\/strong><\/h2>

This technique has been used in Europe for a few years, but it’s catching on more in the U.S. and should be widely adopted in 12–18 months, says Dr. Steven Weiner<\/a>, a facial plastic surgeon in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He’s particularly a fan of using diluted Radiesse to treat “off-face” areas that weren’t being addressed completely with other modalities and “now can be treated with significant improvement, with minimal to no downtime and [few to no] risks.”<\/p>

He uses it mostly for necks, on patients with mild to moderate laxity, as part of his Tri-NECK-ta treatment<\/a>, which also includes Dysport<\/a> (a botulinum toxin); Genius<\/a> (radiofrequency microneedling, or RFM); or laser resurfacing<\/a>. “I often inject Radiesse in the neck in combination with the Genius to improve wrinkles and skin integrity, and it actually tightens the skin, with or without RFM,” he says. Indeed, in one small study<\/a> on the neck and décolletage, injections of diluted Radiesse stimulated significant amounts of collagen. The treatment, researchers concluded, was very effective for skin tightening in both areas.<\/p>

Related: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Biostimulatory Fillers: What to Know Before You Get Injected<\/a><\/em><\/p>

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