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Can Radiesse Be Used to for Dark Circles?

Doctor Answers 9

Not a good use for this filler

December 20th, 2008
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You are better off using a hyaluronic acid filler suvch as Restyland or Juvederm.

Radiesse can cause granulomas, permanent lumps of tissue, that require surgical removal. This is especially problematic underneath thin skin of the eyes.

Those of you who read the posts know my opinions on permanent fillers, and the problems they can cause, especially in thin-skinned areas.

We have also found Radiesse to be a problem in the lips and around the mouth. We have operated on many patients for complications of this and other permanent fillers. Just this week, we operated on a patient who had had Radiesse injected around her mouth and permanent lumps had resulted. When we opened the area surgically, a paste with small beads oozed out. Pathology showed a silicone like reaction in the surrounding tissues. Not to be graphic, but you should know what you are having injected.

Brent Moelleken, MD


Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 183 reviews

December 20th, 2008

Not a good use for this filler

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

You are better off using a hyaluronic acid filler suvch as Restyland or Juvederm.

Radiesse can cause granulomas, permanent lumps of tissue, that require surgical removal. This is especially problematic underneath thin skin of the eyes.

Those of you who read the posts know my opinions on permanent fillers, and the problems they can cause, especially in thin-skinned areas.

We have also found Radiesse to be a problem in the lips and around the mouth. We have operated on many patients for complications of this and other permanent fillers. Just this week, we operated on a patient who had had Radiesse injected around her mouth and permanent lumps had resulted. When we opened the area surgically, a paste with small beads oozed out. Pathology showed a silicone like reaction in the surrounding tissues. Not to be graphic, but you should know what you are having injected.

Brent Moelleken, MD


Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
4.9 out of 5 stars 183 reviews

A thorough evaluation is in order to see if Radiesse would be of any benefit to improve dark circles

December 19th, 2008
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There are two factors that may contribute to “dark circles” under the eyes, pigmentation changes of the skin and contour irregularities at the lower eyelid-cheek junction. Radiesse would be helpful to correct the contour irregularity by filling in the hollow and creating a smoother surface. Minimal to no improvement would be expected to the skin’s dark discoloration. A thorough evaluation is in order to see in Radiesse would be of any benefit. I would recommend seeing a board certified specialist with experience in both soft tissue fillers and facial cosmetic surgery.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD
Englewood Plastic Surgeon

December 19th, 2008

A thorough evaluation is in order to see if Radiesse would be of any benefit to improve dark circles

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

There are two factors that may contribute to “dark circles” under the eyes, pigmentation changes of the skin and contour irregularities at the lower eyelid-cheek junction. Radiesse would be helpful to correct the contour irregularity by filling in the hollow and creating a smoother surface. Minimal to no improvement would be expected to the skin’s dark discoloration. A thorough evaluation is in order to see in Radiesse would be of any benefit. I would recommend seeing a board certified specialist with experience in both soft tissue fillers and facial cosmetic surgery.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD
Englewood Plastic Surgeon

Yes, but...

December 19th, 2008
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Am assuming that you are referring to the "hollows" below the eyes. The skin of the lower eyelid and tear trough areas are very thin and delicate, with important underlying nerves and blood vessels, not to mention the most important structure in the area, the globe (eyeball). For these reasons, you need to know that injection with any filler material to treat the "dark circles" has some of the most serious potential complications.

I generally prefer hyaluronic acid filler (Juvederm, Restylane) for the infraorbital hollows because they are relatively safe, and poor results can be reversed somewhat with hyaluronidase. If injected too superfically, they can create a bluish hue because of the Tyndall effect. I have seen individuals with too much volume injected, with sausage-like contours of the lower eyelids.

Fat is an excellent filler with the potential for long-term effects. The donor fat can be harvested from another part of the body, for example the flanks, abdomen or buttocks.

Radiesse should be used with caution in the lower eyelids, as lumps and nodules can develop in this area of the face. If this complication occurs, the nodules may need to be cut out. Radiesse also should not be injected above the level of the infraorbital rim.

I advise you to find an experienced injector who not only touts the benefits of any procedure but also the possible risks and complications.

Bryan K. Chen, MD

Bryan K. Chen, MD
San Diego Dermatologist
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 reviews

December 19th, 2008

Yes, but...

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Am assuming that you are referring to the "hollows" below the eyes. The skin of the lower eyelid and tear trough areas are very thin and delicate, with important underlying nerves and blood vessels, not to mention the most important structure in the area, the globe (eyeball). For these reasons, you need to know that injection with any filler material to treat the "dark circles" has some of the most serious potential complications.

I generally prefer hyaluronic acid filler (Juvederm, Restylane) for the infraorbital hollows because they are relatively safe, and poor results can be reversed somewhat with hyaluronidase. If injected too superfically, they can create a bluish hue because of the Tyndall effect. I have seen individuals with too much volume injected, with sausage-like contours of the lower eyelids.

Fat is an excellent filler with the potential for long-term effects. The donor fat can be harvested from another part of the body, for example the flanks, abdomen or buttocks.

Radiesse should be used with caution in the lower eyelids, as lumps and nodules can develop in this area of the face. If this complication occurs, the nodules may need to be cut out. Radiesse also should not be injected above the level of the infraorbital rim.

I advise you to find an experienced injector who not only touts the benefits of any procedure but also the possible risks and complications.

Bryan K. Chen, MD
San Diego Dermatologist

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View all Dark Circles reviews

Bad Idea

April 6th, 2009
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Any veteran of this site knows that any injectable under the eye is fraught with difficulty. Further dark circles can be among the more difficult things to treat anyway with injectables.

Finally, Radiesse, if an injectable is contemplated, would be an exceptionally poor choice since it is intended for areas of deeper skin. I would be surprised if you could find a plastic surgeon, board certilfied or otherwise, or a dermatologitst who would be eager to use that substance in this area.

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist
4.7 out of 5 stars 14 reviews

April 6th, 2009

Bad Idea

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Any veteran of this site knows that any injectable under the eye is fraught with difficulty. Further dark circles can be among the more difficult things to treat anyway with injectables.

Finally, Radiesse, if an injectable is contemplated, would be an exceptionally poor choice since it is intended for areas of deeper skin. I would be surprised if you could find a plastic surgeon, board certilfied or otherwise, or a dermatologitst who would be eager to use that substance in this area.

Arnold R. Oppenheim, MD
Virginia Beach Dermatologist

Radiesse will not help

April 6th, 2009
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You cannot treat the problem of "dark circles" under your eyes with Radiesse, or with any injectable filler (Restylane, Juvederm, etc). Adding volume to your under eye area is not going to do anything for the dark pigment in this area. Also, Radiesse should not be used in this area at all.  

David Rankin, MD
April 6th, 2009

Radiesse will not help

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You cannot treat the problem of "dark circles" under your eyes with Radiesse, or with any injectable filler (Restylane, Juvederm, etc). Adding volume to your under eye area is not going to do anything for the dark pigment in this area. Also, Radiesse should not be used in this area at all.  

David Rankin, MD

Dark circles under eyes

February 3rd, 2009
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Dark circles can be shadowing or the appearance of the muscle layer under thinned lower eyelid skin.  Radiesse is not a good choice for this area.  A hyaluronic acid would be better.

Steven Wallach, MD
February 3rd, 2009

Dark circles under eyes

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Dark circles can be shadowing or the appearance of the muscle layer under thinned lower eyelid skin.  Radiesse is not a good choice for this area.  A hyaluronic acid would be better.

Steven Wallach, MD

Not radiesse but hyaluronic acid fillers like restylane or juvederm.

December 20th, 2008
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I wouold recommend that you go to a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon and first have them help determine the cause of the under eye dark circles since it can be do to thinning of the skin over the muscle from sun damage or more of a hollow look from loss of fat and collage volume.

Restylane and juvederm can be used in the tear trough area but only in very skilled hands since this is the most common place that I see unattractive results when too much filler is injected or it is injected too superficially.

I would not recommend Radiesse since it can produce a lumpier effect and should not be used inside the orbital rim. I love Radiesse for enhancing the cheek area but I don't use it in the glabellar lines lines or inside the orbital rim.

I hope this is helpful.

Brenda Dintiman, MD

Brenda Dintiman, MD
Fairfax Dermatologic Surgeon

December 20th, 2008

Not radiesse but hyaluronic acid fillers like restylane or juvederm.

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

I wouold recommend that you go to a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon and first have them help determine the cause of the under eye dark circles since it can be do to thinning of the skin over the muscle from sun damage or more of a hollow look from loss of fat and collage volume.

Restylane and juvederm can be used in the tear trough area but only in very skilled hands since this is the most common place that I see unattractive results when too much filler is injected or it is injected too superficially.

I would not recommend Radiesse since it can produce a lumpier effect and should not be used inside the orbital rim. I love Radiesse for enhancing the cheek area but I don't use it in the glabellar lines lines or inside the orbital rim.

I hope this is helpful.

Brenda Dintiman, MD
Fairfax Dermatologic Surgeon

Radiesse for Lower Eyelid Fat Atrophy, Hollowness, and Dark Circles

December 19th, 2008
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Radiesse has become a workhorse for nonsurgical facial augmentation. The product has a safe and reliable safety profile with minimal morbidity.

Facial fillers are generally safe and thus their applicability are widely utilized for correction of facial atrophy. The lower eyelids are a common area of complaint wherein patients complain of a loss of volume, hollowness, a boney appearance, and hyperpigmentation.

Radiesse should be used in this area with extreme caution as it is known to induce an unpredictable proliferative collagen response. Radiesse can induce formation of excessive collagen which is generally disguised in the deep nasolabial folds but which can become chronically troublesome in the lower eyelid region.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS
December 19th, 2008

Radiesse for Lower Eyelid Fat Atrophy, Hollowness, and Dark Circles

{{ voteCount >= 0 ? '+' + (voteCount + 1) : (voteCount + 1) }}

Radiesse has become a workhorse for nonsurgical facial augmentation. The product has a safe and reliable safety profile with minimal morbidity.

Facial fillers are generally safe and thus their applicability are widely utilized for correction of facial atrophy. The lower eyelids are a common area of complaint wherein patients complain of a loss of volume, hollowness, a boney appearance, and hyperpigmentation.

Radiesse should be used in this area with extreme caution as it is known to induce an unpredictable proliferative collagen response. Radiesse can induce formation of excessive collagen which is generally disguised in the deep nasolabial folds but which can become chronically troublesome in the lower eyelid region.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS

Not generally recommended

December 19th, 2008
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Niamh,

The cause of dark circles under the eyes may be multifactorial. One of these factors can be shadowing from the lower eyelid onto the hollow that develops with aging just below the lower eyelid called the tear trough. If this is a contributor to your dark circles, then filling the tear trough will help to lessen the condition. Radiesse is not approved for use in this area by the FDA and to the company's credit, they do not recommend its use here. Regardless, there are practitioners that use it effectively for the hollowing. The hyaluronic acid products are more forgiving in this area if you are trying to avoid an eyelid lift. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS
December 19th, 2008

Not generally recommended

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Niamh,

The cause of dark circles under the eyes may be multifactorial. One of these factors can be shadowing from the lower eyelid onto the hollow that develops with aging just below the lower eyelid called the tear trough. If this is a contributor to your dark circles, then filling the tear trough will help to lessen the condition. Radiesse is not approved for use in this area by the FDA and to the company's credit, they do not recommend its use here. Regardless, there are practitioners that use it effectively for the hollowing. The hyaluronic acid products are more forgiving in this area if you are trying to avoid an eyelid lift. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.