Treatment Provider
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I'm 32 years old, and since I turned 30 my...
Because I have sensitive skin prone to hives, I requested a consultation with Dr. Patel beforehand. He was courteous and professional and did a great job answering all my questions before we proceeded. The staff at his clinic, located inside a surgical medical institute, were all friendly and professional, as well. Because of my sensitive skin, Dr. Patel opted to just give me the Radiesse injection without numbing the area first (to reduce any reaction my skin might have to the numbing agent itself). Even without any numbing agent, the procedure was not too painful. The strange thing was that one side was more painful than the other, and of course it just feels strange feeling a needle pushing liquid into your face, but overall it was a fast procedure that I would only characterize as "uncomfortable." I was pleased with my experience with Dr. Patel and his staff.
Because I am only one day out from the procedure, it is hard to accurately weigh the pros and cons of the procedure, but I can share what I see so far: the Radiesse definitely fills the folds, but the area is still swollen unevenly, and I developed a bruise on the upper right corner of the fold, by my nose (Dr. Patel warned me this could happen). I can still smile, so I have a little bit of flexibility in the area, but one day after the surgery the area is still swollen, puffy, and stiff. I am hoping the swelling will go down in the coming days. Also, I have an uneven hard lump above where the bruise developed, almost up by my cheek - it looks odd, and I have tried massaging the area downward, as Dr. Patel had mentioned I could try doing. Time will tell if the procedure has a more natural-looking result. I am optimistic! The main con for me is the prohibitive cost; the procedure became affordable when purchased with a Groupon. And I would plan to set aside at least a few days after the procedure for hanging around home while your face recovers from the swelling/uneven puffiness.
Provider Review
As I mentioned above, Dr. Patel took time to answer my questions before the procedure. I had several questions, as I have very sensitive skin that breaks into welts and hives when scratched/disturbed. He reviewed potential reactions with me, and I felt well-informed before the procedure was done. The procedure itself only took Dr. Patel a couple of minutes to perform. One thing I appreciated was having an assistant come in to simply pat my shoulder throughout the entire procedure. It is a strange feeling having a needle stuck in your face, especially without numbing the area, and adding the simple protocol of having someone pat the patient's shoulder made a huge difference. It was both comforting and distracting, so it made the procedure less uncomfortable. Overall, Dr. Patel and the staff at his clinic were courteous and professional, and the office itself has welcoming, fashionable, and clean decor. The one thing was that I waited quite a while to be seen (over 45 minutes), so I guess this was more like your standard medical appointment (where long wait times are standard) than, say, an appointment for a different type of facial procedure, such as a facial (where you expect to have your facial begin at the exact appointment time).