How to Get Rid of Radiesse?

Radiesse can be removed by surgery but it's usually done for nodule under the thin eyelid skin. In the cheeks, removal is more difficult because the injection is deeper and more diffuse. This is too early for you to worry about removal. I think it is likely that your welling will resolve and you would be happy.

Radiesse is a stimulatory filler that is an excellent option for patients who desire a longer-lasting filler alternative to hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. In our office, we use Radiesse to complement structural areas of the face and contour bony prominences. Our office also is a center of excellence for filler complication treatments and we see patients who have been treated by other doctors and have undesirable results from Radiesse or other long-lasting fillers. We have treatment options available for Radiesse filler nodules, granulomas, and soft tissue thickening. The first step would be to diagnose the nodularity and determine whether there is an option for surgical vs. non-surgical removal. Surgical excision is a possibility in some patients; whereas others with more diffuse fillers may benefit from intralesional therapy using scar modulators and enzymes and kenalog. Radiesse complications may be long-lasting and prompt action is key. Patients who have no access to an expert in the field should begin gentle massage of the areas of nodularity with Plato’s Scar Serum twice daily. RF and invasive lasers can actually do more damage by stimulating further collagen growth.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, Radiesse is not reversible because it is not a Hyaluronic Acid. Radiesse can last anywhere from 6-12 months. Best of luck! Dhaval M. Patel Double board certified Plastic surgeon Hoffman Estates Barrington Oakbrook Chicago

Radiesse injection typically leads to a few weeks of reactive tissue swelling that will temporarily exaggerate your facial fullness. This can lead to the overfilled look that you mention. This should improve with time, however.

If you want, some things you can actively do to help with decreasing the swelling are:


Sleep with your head somewhat elevated (30 degrees or more). This allows gravity to drain some of the excess fluid while you sleep.

Try a low sodium diet of 1500 mg or less a day. This results in less water retention which may also help with the tissue swelling.


As you know, there isn't a quick injection that can be given to dissolve the Radiesse. If there was placement of too much product, there isn't anything that can otherwise speed up its resorption.

There is nothing offered that may be injected to dissolve Radiesse.  One of it's components is a gel like substance which gets absorbed over a 3 month period.

Hi lapcas.  As you have pointed out Radiesse is not easily reversible like Restylane or Juvederm.  But there are a couple things you might do to help out.   We recommend reviewing both of these with your practitioner before undertaking them.

Because the product has been placed relatively recently, you may still be able to massage it a bit to try and change the shape of the face at the injection site.  Also, the swelling from the initial injection may be part of the problem so talk to your injector about a prescription for inflammation.  Besides these two, you may just have to wait.

Hi lapcas,

Radiesse injections can result in swelling for a few weeks that will resolve.  8 days is too soon to know if anything further needs to be done.  In the meantime, I would recommend massaging the area frequently and know that almost all patients with concerns like yours resolve once the swelling goes down.

Good luck!

You may notice that a lot of the swelling may come down in the next few weeks and it may be less overcorrected than you think. Antiinflammatories may help and you may wish to ask your physician if it is safe to try.

There is some recent literature to suggest that Sodium Thiosulfate can dissolve Radiesse. I don't have any experience with this and I don't know how many patients this has been used for. In general, wait it out for a couple weeks for things to settle down before getting worried about overfill on one side.

Unfortunately, Radiesse can not be dissolved the same way that Juvederm can be dissolved. I would not do anything yet and just wait for the swelling to go down. There is sometimes a lot of swelling after Radiesse injection and once things settle they look a lot more natural. Dr. Behnam.