With Sculptra not building collagen should I try Radiesse? (Photos)

Question

Sculptra poor results - Hello, in the last year and a half I have had 12 vials of Sculptra. I'm only 47 but do have pronounced sunken cheeks and the submarlor areas of my face are sunken. The 12 vials has not produced any collagen and doctor said my body just is not responding to the product. With Sculptra not building collagen should I try Radiesse? Will it build collagen when Sculptra didn't? Or should I go with a hyaluronic filler like Voluma to fill out the cheek and submarlor areas? Thanks.

Andrei Gherghina, DO, MS · Answer

Both Sculptra and Radiesse are biostimulants which stimulate your body to create collagen. If you did not have a good result with one you can definitely try the other. Radiesse may be a good option for you if your area of concern is one specific area, such as your cheeks. As a clarification, Sculptra comes in vials that have to be reconstituted with sterile water (and possibly lidocaine, depending on the provider). One full session of Sculptra usually consists of two vials, which produces 12-14 syringes of injectable Sculptra. Wasn't sure if you had 12 syringes or 12 vials. Either way, I would recommend non-diluted Radiesse to give you the results it seems you are seeking.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

this issue is that you do not have a full treatment plan, you need a face/neck lift, lasers, and plasma pen to your eyes. for volume, you can use fat, bellafill or radiesse for a more volumizing result.  fillers alone will not improve your over all look dramatically and if they are overused you will look worse. you need more tightening, resurfacing, and volume combined.

at home peels like cosmelan, enlighten and aerify along with dermarolling (EmerageSkin roller with anteage AERIFY MD ampules weekly, see link) should be started now to prevent further aging.

For facial rejuvenation,  I would suggest a combination approach of 
1) skin care with products and PRP/microneedling
2) PDT light therapy few times a month with growth factors
3) laser treatments like clear and brilliant or moxi regularly and a few times a year Fraxel/halo Viva, Co2/Erbium
4) Sculptra injections a few times a year for collagen production with fillers like juvederm/restylane/belotero/radiesse/bellafill
5) thermage/ultherapy for yearly skin tightening with or without PDO or cone based instalift threads for lifting
6) botox every 2-3 months to stop movement lines and prevent lines at rest
7) deep microneedling RF like Fractora/morpheus8/pixel8 for tightening of the skin
8) Vascular laser like vbeam/excel V or BBL forever young treatment every quarter (3-4 months)

Best, Dr. Emer.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

I stopped using Sculptra quite a few years ago. I found it too expensive, did not give any immediate results and typically required three treatment sessions to achieve any results. I used Radiesse for many years and stopped a few years back, since the main advantage of this product was longer-lasting results of about two years duration. The main drawback was that if the result was not acceptable or there was an adverse reaction, there was no good product to dissolve the Radiesse. Then robust HA volumizing fillers, such as Voluma XC, came along that offered immediate results, long-lasting (1.5-2 year durations) and the ability to be dissolved if necessary with hyaluronidase. So, from what I said, it is clear that Voluma is a very viable option--if you are looking for results that can be seen in the mirror immediately following treatment and that are relatively long-lasting, but reversible. Make sure that you are consulting with an experienced, board certified cosmetic dermatologist injector and be sure to ask to see his/her personal befores and afters before agreeing to proceed  Best of luck

Anshul Gambhir, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Radiesse and Voluma are both fillers but the only difference is what they are comprised of. Voluma is a hyaluronic acid based filler which means it can be reversed however Radiesse cannot be reversed. Neither of these fillers will cause collagen production or growth. I would suggest going forward with the Voluma first to see how you like it and last case resort I would try Radiesse. Hope this helps!

Onir Spiegel, DDS, PhD · Answer

Radiesse is what I like to call "oldie but goodie". It is terrific for volumizing and giving structure to the cheeks, temples, jowls and mandible. I also use it for collagen production even in places like the neck, knees and hands where I use a diluted quantity just for collagen and elastin stimulation. 
Best from Boston, Dr. Onir

With Sculptra not building collagen should I try Radiesse? (Photos)

Answers (7)

Answer: Sculptra vs Fillers

Answer: Sculptra vs Fillers

Answer: Radiesse--a great product used to build collagen production

Answer: Radiesse--a great product used to build collagen production

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With Sculptra not building collagen should I try Radiesse? (Photos)

Answers (7)

Answer: Sculptra vs Fillers

Answer: Sculptra vs Fillers

Answer: Radiesse--a great product used to build collagen production

Answer: Radiesse--a great product used to build collagen production

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Radiesse

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.