What Can I Do About Radiesse Lumps?

Radiesse is composed of essentially two main ingredients. The primary ingredient is a calcium like powder. The other is a gel like substance which gets absorbed over a 3 month period. As this occurs the lumps should resolve and/or disappear.

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

This is an unfortunate yet common complication of Radiesse use.  I only use it when a patient specifically requests it, or in very coarse wrinkles of the nasolabial folds.  Lumps will sometimes be improved with massage.  If it is horribly bothersome, it can be carefully excised surgically from the inside of the cheek under local anesthesia, but I would preserve this option as a last resort. 

In the first few days after injection, massage can help with lumps from Radiesse.  However, after that, it can be a difficult problem.  Steroid injections have been known to help somewhat.  Because it is a foreign substance, the body tries to attack it.  If the response is excessive, you may get a lump.  Steroids can decrease some of the immune reaction and help soften the lump.  The good news is that it will eventually go away by itself.  Unfortunately it might be a year or more.

Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about Radiesse lumps except to wait for them to be metabolized by the body.  That is way it is so important to make sure that you are being injected by an experienced plastic surgeon or dermatologist who is board certified.  There are some techniques with other injections of solutions and ultrasound which may speed of the process for the lump to resolve.  Good luck.

Radiesse is an excellent filler but there are several causes of bumps.  First of all, Radiesse or any filler can cause localized swelling which can be mistaken for a bump (not the cause here by what sounds like to your question).  This swelling tends to disappear a few days after the injection.  In addition, if Radiesse is injected too superficially, it can lead to the issue of whitish discoloration.  Radiesse also should not be injected in areas where the skin is thin, due to the thicker nature of this filler.  Finally, Radiesse can congeal in select cases into an aggregation of material.

Treatment of Radiesse bumps is based on the cause.  In many cases, time allows for absorption of the filler and dissipation of the swelling.  If the Radiesse has congealed into a larger lump, localized massage can break up the Radiesse and allow it to be absorbed by the body.  In select cases, Kenalog injections can be helpful to break up the Radiesse, particularly in superficial locations.

We find that Radiesse can be dissolved partiallly with cortisone injections.  We also find that laser treatments over the area, such as with GentleYag, can often reduce the bumps, but it must be performed within several weeks of the Radiesse injection.  Lastly, bumps that you can see inside the mouth can usually be expressed out (like a cyst) by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.  A small puncture over the area is made first which is often requires no anesthesia and is very quick.

Unlike Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane that can be reversed fairly quickly with hyaluronidase, Radiesse nodules that surface will require patience and scar massage. Sometimes excisional removal along buccal surface, if it's near the mouth can be performed

Lumpsare possible after effects of Radiesse injection. This is because Radiesse iscomposed of CaHa, a calcium-like powder, as its main ingredient and a carriergel that is absorbed by the body in the course of 3 months. As soon as thecarrier gel is absorbed, the lumps should settle down on their own.
Doing agentle massage could help in resolving the lumps faster, however, this willonly work in the first few days after treatment. The unfortunate news here isthat, the lumps may be resolved in a little less than a year if they appearpost treatment. That said, should you really want the lump to be removed, itcan be surgically done by a board certified plastic surgeon. You can visit yourdoctor if the lump is bothering you. You can discuss your options better with adoctor who has assessed your case thoroughly.

Massage can help in the first few days of the injection, but unfortunately there is little that can be done except to wait for the body to metabolize the product. The lumps are from local collagen stimulation. This is why its so important to make sure you are being injected by an experienced plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

 

"Dr.D"