Horrible Experience - I ended up with a most swollen and awful face - Chevy Chase, MD

I completely agree with marijowin's comments and experience regarding Radiesse. Having had positive experiences with Collagen injections and with both Restlyn and Juvederm, and my only complaint being their lack of longevity, I thought that I would give Radiesse a try for their long term benefits for my marionette lines. What a nightmare! I ended up with a most swollen and awful face in the right half of the face, including the lips! I also had minute broken capillaries or blood vessels in the same region. When I went back to my Dr., a Board Certified Dermatologist, I was told by him that people do NOT develope allergic reactions to Radiesse when I told him that is what I thought had happened to me. My injection was on a Thursday, and my reaction took place over the weekend, and my Dr was out of town the following week so I could not get back in to see him again until the following Wed, at which time most of the swelling had subsided. Thus he was not privy to me at my worst and most swollen,especially my lips,which looked like Juvederm injection gone wild, except that I did NOT have injections done to my lips AT ALL, just to the wrinkles on the lines next to it. I consider myself lucky to say that my only long term affects appear to be some mild/moderate broken capillaries that did not heal(but compared to what it looked like before,I am frankly relieved for what little I do have), some tiny wrinkling around my lips which I think is the result of my lips having been so puffy and swollen and the slackness of the skin that resulted from it from when the lips went back down to normal, and some tiny beading on one side that is not really that visible. For me to say that I can live with that says a lot, because I am a perfectionest, but my experience frightened me so much that I literally prayed that if I went back to looking normal after looking so monstrous, I would NOT complain!! And I can always take care of the broken blood vessels with some lasering once I recover from this ordeal. From my experience, I would suggest that everyone do your research and go to a reputable,CONSERVATIVE Dr. I actually had been going to a Dermatologist at a nationally recognized teaching hospital (who does NOT carry Radiesse in their Derm Dept: in fact I now know that many Derm practices do not carry it) before I decided to switch and give this new Dr a try. I wouldn't neccessairly say that it was the Dr's fault, but now after my experience, I would err on the side of caution, and would go to a Dr that is more conservative in their approach to new products because while my side affects have been moderate, it seems like othes have experienced far more permanent and scarring experiences. And I will do fillers again because I like how it looks, but will stick to old and tried ones, like Restylyn or Juvederm with which I did not have problems with!