Can Radiesse Be Removed? (photo)

I'm sorry to hear that you want to have your Radiesse removed, however it would be possible only by surgical excision. Once injected, Radiesse cannot be removed in any other way.

Radiesse is an FDA-Approved filler that we use very frequently in our office to sculpt the contours of the face. Since we are a national center of excellence for filler reversal, we also encounter patients from other doctors' offices who wish to have Radiesse fillers removed for one reason or another. In our office, we employ a directed technique to visualize the filler material, if possible on ultrasound, and then use non-surgical methods to dissolve the filler or granuloma tissue using intralesional injections. There are many methods using a combination of enzymes, intralesional modulators of scar tissue, and Kenalog to help reduce volume and remaining filler. These techniques require meticulous attention to detail and can be performed at intervals of two to three weeks to achieve longterm effect.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hi Mona, I am very sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to dissolve Radiesse, fillers can vary from each individual but typically last 8-12 months. The best option for you is to wait it out till it dissolves on its own. It may be that you're still swollen, give it a few more weeks to settle before seeing your final result.

Looking at you photos there appears to be some lingering swelling. This can take several weeks to completely resolve, so you may see improvement in your results as the swelling subsides. Radiesse is very difficult to remove, requiring surgical excision that would result in a scar to some degree.  The good news is that Radiesse is not permanent and it will eventually be completely reabsorbed, although the time it takes to do this is variable (on average Radiesse last approximately one year). In the future, consider using a different type of filler, one that is hyaluronic acid based, as there is an enzyme that can be injected to dissolve the filler should you be unhappy with your results. Remember to do your research. Injectable procedures should only be performed by a well qualified practitioner.

A lot of what I am seeing in the picture is from bruising and swelling and will look better in two weeks. I can only wonder if you saw a board certified dermatologist, facial plastic, or reconstructive surgeon, as I do feel experience and training reduces complications. The bloody nasal discharge worries me the most and I would have that investigated by an ENT physician. Radiesse can be massaged and flattened by an experienced physician and even diluted with saline and pulverized a bit to reduce it more quickly. It is very difficult to removed surgically.

I would recommend that you see a very experienced facial plastic surgeon. There is no dissolving agent like there is for hyaluronic acid, like hyalurindase, so there is not a quick fix for Radiesse. There are some, although very minimal options though, for removing it, including excising it, but you will definitely need to see a very experienced facial plastic surgeon. I have found that most of the time Radiesse is only good for patients who have a vast amount of filler experience and I don't recommend it under the eyes like you've had, but in the upper cheek area, and the jawline. It tends to last 12-18 months on most people. I'm sorry for your poor experience; although I will say that Radiesse does cause a great deal of swelling and bruising so some of the issues you are having may resolve over the next week, as Radiesse swelling and bruising can last upwards of 10-14 days.

 No, Radiesse can't be dissolved and is a relatively thick filler, IMO, that should only be injected into fatty tissue layers.  Using Radiesse in the lower eyelid area can lead to lumps and bumps, so I won't use it in that area.  Even on the cheeks, I prefer using Perlane which has less lumpiness and swelling IMO.  I do use Radiesse in the chin and along the jaw line.  Please understand that there's no inherent magic in Radiesse or any filler.  The magic comes from knowing the proper aesthetics of facial beauty for the creation of a naturally, more attractive face.  It's best, IMHO, for you to just let the Radiesse dissolve and aid the appearance by placing small amounts of a thinner filler, like Juvederm, to soften the lower eyelid lumps.  We have patients that fly here for fillers from all over the world based on our aesthetic judgement on creating natural, facial beauty.