POSTED UNDER Radiesse REVIEWS
Half of my Face Rotted Off! - Redding, CA~Say NO to Radiesse!
ORIGINAL POST
I am a cosmetic laser nurse and injected Radiesse,...
$20,000
I am a cosmetic laser nurse and injected Radiesse, Restylane and Juvederm for many years. Last February the company sent a new injector trainer to show me and my staff the latest way to augment cheekbones to do the 'liquid lift'. I chose to be injected first before my volunteer patients to see how it felt.
She blocked the blood flow to my left cheek entirely!!! The product is incredibly thick, and this is a risk factor. I looked in the mirror and said, "You've occluded my blood flow." She shook it off and said, "Julie, you just know too much. Now relax and let me do the other side." My husband is the physician in our practice. I wanted to run down the hall and show him but she just downplayed it and kept injecting me. By the time she was through with me and my hubby saw it, it was too late. The tissue was dying.
For 6 months I had pain and disfigurement as my left cheek rotted off and had to regrow. Now, nearly a year later, I am left with pitted skin like severe acne scars. I have lasered it 5 times and only reduced the redness. I have spent thousands of dollars flying around california for medical advice to keep it from scarring, laser treatments, medicines, etc. The company had some Florida doctor call me from his car phone to tell me what to do and what to take. He was a total jerk. I asked the company to please send me to a California doctor so I could see them in person. They wouldn't. I was clearly on my own.
The company couldn't give a crap. They have NEVER called to check on me. The representative sent me one short email that basically said I was in good hands with my husband. That was it. The nurse felt bad, and was super sweet. But even she has not checked up on me since it all went down. I think they advised her not to email me anymore for fear of lawsuit.
I wish there was a class action suit.
They are getting away with horrible business practices.
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Injector1's provider
Replies (93)
February 9, 2011
I was researching Radiesse and came across your post. Because of your experience I will stay away from the product and the company. I wish you a full recovery. My heart goes out to you.
March 5, 2011
Thank you so much for sharing your story.
I can relate to you- I was burned almost a year ago by a V-Beam laser treatment and as a result have suffered scarring and irrepairable damage to my lip tissue. The laser also "splashed", this was the term a burn surgeon used to describe how the laser burned to other areas of my face where I wasn't treated. I was severly depressed for a long time and of course my family suffered from this as well. I am starting to get my life back now and am looking for solutions to improve my skin and lips. (I won't be using Radiesse!)
Wish you continued healing and thanks again for sharing your story-I am sure it will save faces!
I can relate to you- I was burned almost a year ago by a V-Beam laser treatment and as a result have suffered scarring and irrepairable damage to my lip tissue. The laser also "splashed", this was the term a burn surgeon used to describe how the laser burned to other areas of my face where I wasn't treated. I was severly depressed for a long time and of course my family suffered from this as well. I am starting to get my life back now and am looking for solutions to improve my skin and lips. (I won't be using Radiesse!)
Wish you continued healing and thanks again for sharing your story-I am sure it will save faces!
April 19, 2011
Julie, I would love to talk to you. I had the exact same thing happen to me in September, 2010. My wedding was in October, and I had to get married with a bandage on my face! My skin is still red and (I'm afraid) scarred forever. I'm undergoing treatments, including laser and fat transfer. My husband and I were shocked at how similar your photos are to mine.
I hope we can help each other. Please reply if you would like my contact info.
I hope we can help each other. Please reply if you would like my contact info.
August 24, 2011
SFL,
I wrote you a personal message and hope to hear that you've healed completely over the year. It took about a year for mine to get as good as it was going to get. Thinking of you and hoping for the best of healing. Sincerely, Julie
I wrote you a personal message and hope to hear that you've healed completely over the year. It took about a year for mine to get as good as it was going to get. Thinking of you and hoping for the best of healing. Sincerely, Julie
August 24, 2011
September 21, 2011
Scarredforlife how are you? I was reading your comment and it made me so sad. Are things any better?
August 6, 2011
I deeply feel for the people who have suffered under the hands of a greedy and reckless medical industry here in the USA. I had this despicable product Injected under my jaw line over two years ago, and posted here on realself about my massive inflammatory response, marked by persistent redness along the jaw, constant infections and puss coming up, and huge swollen lumps the size of ping pong balls on some days. This initial reaction lasted a full two months, after doctor after doctor turned me away In shock and awe, afraid of injecting me w steroids longterm and baffled by the sight of me. For the following year Lumps under my skin remained distorting my face, and the redness and the endless cycle of puss filled lesions continued, actually moving from site to site on my face, up from the jaw all along my cheeks and hairline. at two years, tens of thousands of dollars of laser surgery, alternative health treatments and a univeristy's share of knowledge on holistic and high tech skin care later, I still suffer constant redness all along the bottom half of my face, with dozens of new puss filled white heads coming up daily. I lost a full two years of my life and only now am able to manage this condition, namely the constant stinging pain has finally subsided (I couldn't rest my face on a pillow at night or touch my skin without shooting stinging pain). So this is my great success. I have been unemployable In any job out in public as I have looked sick, infected, deformed and "on drugs". Cops have stopped me multiple times and profiled me as a drug user. My sex life suffered immensely save for my spiritual compassion and confident personality. I have had to reorient my career path entirely because if this problem. All caused by injections that I paid for and that were administered by a fully competent and reputable surgeon, or so I thought. This product is evil and had ruined my life, only demanding me to abandon vanity and seek spiritual and personal transcendence to overcome the judgments of people around me, employers, police, my own family, and potential lovers. I have found relieve of sorts through diligent, extremely informed high tech natural skin care, radical lifestyle changes to live near a natural sulfuric hotspring in southern California, a 100% zero gluten diet, no more plastic surgery anything, total mind body health and a dissolution of my ego.. And still I am marked, scarred, can't shave, and spend more time than I ever dreamt I would "grooming" and doing damage control. I am more informed than any medical doctor, naturopath, esthetician on skin care now, diet and lifestyle. Out of necessity. Out of desperation, out of pain and constant discomfort. This Product single handedly derailed my entire Life and career and I still suffer two years on..
UPDATED FROM Injector1
3 years post
3 1/2 years later... Much Better but still some residual scarring
I apologize for not updating this site. I've learned a lot over the last 3 1/2 years about ischemic events and how to heal them. I have also been blown away about how many people have had similar injuries. I was told this is extremely rare, but judging by the amount of personal messages I've received on this site over the last 3 years, it is NOT that rare. Radiesse cannot be dissolved like a HA. It can be dangerous when in the hands of an injector that does not know how to recognize an occluded or compressed facial artery. This experience has made me a more careful injector, and has inspired me to become an injector trainer. I am very excited about teaching injectors about how to recognize and prevent ischemic events. I hope the posts I've shared on this site help others heal emotionally and physically. I also hope injectors take the time to learn what immediate steps they must take if they happen to block someone's blood flow. I'm posting a photo of today. You can barely see the indentation from the skin I lost. I have had multiple laser procedures as well as injections of HA and Sculptra. I am very thrilled with the results, and grateful for the support I've received. I would like to personally thank my husband, Dr. Jory Kaplan for helping me heal so beautifully inside and out. I would also like to thank Dr. Randy Tate for his wonderful care during the toughest times. Dr. Victor Lacombe was also a huge help, and was brave enough to give me my first laser treatment. Finally, the support from my patients and family was absolutely beautiful. My patients have been so kind and understanding throughout the process. They let me inject them while my face was raw and disgusting from my injury. Their trust in me meant so much. This experience was bitter-sweet. Looking back, I can see all of the blessings that have come from this difficult journey. I find myself very grateful and in awe of how wonderful people can be. Blessings to all, and please feel free to contact me if this happens to you. I don't want anyone to feel as alone as I felt. Help is out there... and remember that you are beautiful no matter what is going on with your skin. :-)
Replies (30)
September 21, 2013
Hi Julie-I am incredibly happy to know that you are doing so well. You are truly an inspiration to all of us on here. You look beautiful :)
September 21, 2013
Bentley, your words mean so much. I have really enjoyed you. I'm wishing you much health and happiness. You are a beautiful person!!!
October 3, 2013
Hi, I am a NP injector. I would love to learn from you.
How do I get in touch? Do you have training videos?
Thank you.
October 11, 2013
Hi Melanue, you can email me at *****@sbcglobal.net I would love to communicate with you. You could also send me a personal message on this site. Whichever you prefer. Thank you for reaching out. I am in the process of making videos, but have none posted yet. Julie
October 24, 2013
I had an occlusion from Juvederm in the same exact area you were but my PS told me it was minor and I didn't need to have it resolved. She prescribed me antibiotics and some blood flow meds. It did make the little puss blisters go away but now my face is bright pink in that area. I know my issue doesn't compare to yours or the others that I've read on this thread, but I can't help but shake the thought I'm gonna look like a port wine spotted face forever. Do you think a month is too late for dissolving it? At this point is it fleeting? I don't have any of those bumps, the skin is dry but pretty even. Just red. Any advice?
October 24, 2013
Hi LilMsSunshine, I'm sorry this happened to you. Does your PS have vascular lasers? The VP532 vascular laser helped my redness go away. I started the laser treatments after 3 months. I'm not allowed to give medical advice on this site, but can tell you what my physicians recommend to me. They told me that the skin dies quickly after an occlusion, so the medicine to erase the HA (Juvederm or Restylane) needs to be injected right away, and steps need to be taken to increase blood flow right away. A month is too late as the damage is done. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) can also help reduce redness, they did that to me too. I hope this information helps you reduce that redness going forward. I'm so happy you don't have any textured scarring. Redness or pinkness can be resolved with laser or IPL, but pits, shiny scarring, and bumps are much tougher. Take good care, J
October 24, 2013
Ask your PS if dissolving it now would increase your blood flow. Sometimes too much product can put pressure on vessels, but most of the time, it is unnecessary. Ischemic events require immediate action to free up blood flow. Your PS can examine your skin and make that assessment. Again, I hope I've helped answer your question. I hope you have a very knowledgeable and caring PS. Good luck in your healing process!!! J
October 26, 2013
Hi Injector 1, Thank you so much for all your information. I do want to know what type of laser treatment was done to help you!
November 16, 2013
Hi LA, I tried several things to address several problems. My injury left me with hyper pigmentation, hypo pigmentation, redness, and pitting. Ironically, I used filler products for pitting, such as Juvederm and Sculptra. For the redness, I used a vascular laser (VP532 from a VersaPulse C). It's a dinosaur laser, but it works so well. For hyper pigmentation and pitting I also used both Fraxel Re:Store and Syneron's Sublative lasers. I also tried to break up the scar tissue with needles and microcannulas under my dermis. Finally, I used Obagi's hydroquinone cream to even out the color. It has cost thousands of dollars, even at cost, but I'm very happy with the results. I hope my answer helps you some. Thank you, J
October 29, 2013
OH MY GOD! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO HAVE A RADIESSE INJECTION TO MY CHEEKS THIS FRIDAY NOV 1ST 2013! AFTER READING WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, I COMPLETELY CHANGED MY MIND. I WILL CHOOSE PERLANE INSTEAD, AND ALSO AFTER READING YOUR EXPERIENCE, MAYBE SCULPTRA AS WELL. I AM ALSO COMING OUT OF A NIGHTMARISH EXPERIENCE WITH CHEEK IMPLANTS (PLACED, REPLACED, AND FINALLY REMOVED!) I WILL SHARE THAT PAINFUL EXPERIENCE WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS...
November 16, 2013
I'm not a big fan of Perlane, but check out Juvederm Voluma. It's the only FDA approved cheek filler and it was just released last month. Injector trainers are now getting trained with it, and it should be available in your town soon. Wishing you all the best luck. When your Perlane wears off, this could be an exciting alternative to Radiesse for you. :-) Take care, J
November 9, 2013
Is this a risk with radiesse anywhere in the face?? Or cheeks only ? I'm looking to get it in my nose to correct a hump
November 16, 2013
KJ000, I'm not allowed to give medical advice on this site as I am not a physician. I'm pretty sure I can tell you that the nose is an extremely risky place to have fillers done. Do some research and see for yourself what the risks for treating noses and frown lines. I have been an injector for over 12 years and I never touch the nose. Please do your research and find an EXTREMELY experienced injector/physician who is a board certified facial plastic surgeon if you ultimately decide to proceed with this procedure. Be safe, J
January 3, 2014
I would stay away from the nose ! Too many ways to occlude vessels. This is considered a dangerous area. Skilled injectors could get into trouble in that area!
September 26, 2015
Do NOT use Radiesse in the nose. My doctor used it to fill an area where a graft had dissolved very soon after surgery. It made my skin mottled, lumpy, and it the lumps did NOT go away. Stay away from Radiesse!!
September 26, 2015
Are you doing anythingg about the lumps ? Does it cause any other symptoms for you like burning ?
September 27, 2015
Nothing can be done about one lump in particular, where the Radiesse was injected too shallow and created a calcified lump. I do not have any burning, thankfully. I was told (over 3 years ago) to rub the area to reduce the lump. I did but it never went away. Every doctor I've seen since have gasped or winced when I told them that I was injected with Radiesse. They've all said Radiesse in the nose is a bad idea.
UPDATED FROM Injector1
3 years post
How I Resolved My Scarring from Radiesse:
I am often asked on here how I resolved the extensive scarring from the ischemic event caused by Radiesse after their injector trainer blocked my blood flow to my cheek. The first 3 months required many wet-to-dry dressings, antibiotics, nitro paste (extremely painful), anti viral medications, aquaphore, xeroform dressings, and anti anxiety medicine. It is tough to relax when you don't know if you'll always look like a monster. I also would recommend hyperbaric oxygen treatments early on, but I didn't have this done due to time restraints.
After the first 3 months, I tried several things to address several problems over the last 3 years. My injury left me with hyper pigmentation, permanent hypo pigmentation, redness, and permanent pitting. Ironically, I used filler products for pitting, such as Juvederm and Sculptra. For the redness, I used a vascular laser (VP532 from a VersaPulse C). It's a dinosaur laser, but it works so well. For hyper pigmentation and pitting I also used both Fraxel Re:Store and Syneron's Sublative lasers. I also tried to break up the scar tissue with needles and microcannulas under my dermis. Finally, I used Obagi's hydroquinone cream to even out the color. It has cost thousands of dollars, even at cost, but I'm very happy with the results. The pitting and hypo pigmentation will be permanent, but I have managed to reduce it quite a bit with the above treatments. I hope this blog can help others move on after a similar injury.
Finally, I recommend healing your mind as well as your skin. This injury is both physical and psychological. It truly runs deep. It helped me to go to work and "face" my injury. I work as a cosmetic injector, so this gave me an opportunity to talk about the reasons it is important to have a knowledgeable injector who cares about what happens. It was extremely hard to do this, but it truly made me stronger and my patients appreciated the honesty and education. If this has happened to you, you may need to get professional help so the depression doesn't take you down. I went about life as usual, and even went forward with our planned mother/daughter Bat (B'not) Mitzvah 3 months after the injury with my bright red scar. Just know that there will be beautiful healing, but it will take a while. You are beautiful because your soul is beautiful, and your skin will eventually catch up. Take care, J.
After the first 3 months, I tried several things to address several problems over the last 3 years. My injury left me with hyper pigmentation, permanent hypo pigmentation, redness, and permanent pitting. Ironically, I used filler products for pitting, such as Juvederm and Sculptra. For the redness, I used a vascular laser (VP532 from a VersaPulse C). It's a dinosaur laser, but it works so well. For hyper pigmentation and pitting I also used both Fraxel Re:Store and Syneron's Sublative lasers. I also tried to break up the scar tissue with needles and microcannulas under my dermis. Finally, I used Obagi's hydroquinone cream to even out the color. It has cost thousands of dollars, even at cost, but I'm very happy with the results. The pitting and hypo pigmentation will be permanent, but I have managed to reduce it quite a bit with the above treatments. I hope this blog can help others move on after a similar injury.
Finally, I recommend healing your mind as well as your skin. This injury is both physical and psychological. It truly runs deep. It helped me to go to work and "face" my injury. I work as a cosmetic injector, so this gave me an opportunity to talk about the reasons it is important to have a knowledgeable injector who cares about what happens. It was extremely hard to do this, but it truly made me stronger and my patients appreciated the honesty and education. If this has happened to you, you may need to get professional help so the depression doesn't take you down. I went about life as usual, and even went forward with our planned mother/daughter Bat (B'not) Mitzvah 3 months after the injury with my bright red scar. Just know that there will be beautiful healing, but it will take a while. You are beautiful because your soul is beautiful, and your skin will eventually catch up. Take care, J.
Replies (37)
November 29, 2013
It's the Radiesse. I had a wonderful doctor do the injecting and am still having issues. Swelling, irritation... I'm still on antibiotics. #&1/2/ weeks and counting. Other fillers ca be disolved...NOT RADIESSE. Look at your options before you inject. Please !
December 10, 2013
I agree, Adon. My husband/physician and I injected Radiesse for years and had some patients get some weird lumps that the physician and I had to work out and manipulate. It was strange sometimes, and unpredictable. Now that Voluma is out, there is no reason to reach for Radiesse, which is a calcium product. Voluma is FDA approved for the cheek "liquid lift" and the results are amazing. The best thing, it CAN be reversed with Vitrase if something goes wrong. YAY!!!
December 2, 2013
Oh my goodness, I'm in such shock with everything that you experienced! However, I'm so thankful for your bravery to post this horrible experience that happened to you as I was actually thinking about having this filler injected! I promise you that the desire to do it is no longer a desire but more of a fear! I definitely don't want to attempt it or take a chance of enduring the emotional and physical pain that you had to deal with! You seem like such a wonderful sweet person who isn't dwelling on this but is now teaching others with the knowledge that you've learned along the way. I can't believe that the company didn't take any responsibility for this and apparently have no issue with knowingly endangering others lives! I really wish that you sued the britches right off of them because they definitely need to be held accountable and you should be compensated! I had a very well known surgeon do the wrong back surgery on me and left me with chronic pain and severe damage from doing the wrong surgery, but oddly enough, two different attorneys I had dropped the case after taking it on, but I think they were paid off personally! I know it made me bitter for years because my girls were little and he took away my ability to even hold them! I'm past that and no longer bitter, thanks to turning it over to The Almighty, and you can count on it that those who wrong others and continue to do so will be dealt with when that time comes. It's sad that some people have no problem hurting their fellow man! I wish you the best in all that you do and may you continue to have many blessings in this journey of life!
December 10, 2013
Oh no, your back story is so tragic. I used to work as a surgical nurse and surgical assistant for a neurosurgeon. I saw some stuff, let me tell you. I feel so badly for you. I hope that some day you can have your back healed by a very talented surgeon. Your children are fortunate to have you in their lives because it is clear how much you love them. Thank you again for your kind words. I'm glad I didn't sue... not because the company doesn't deserve it, but because I had such wonderful mental healing as well as physical healing. To me, that's all I wanted. Money doesn't heal, doesn't love, and doesn't teach. People do that. I surrounded myself with healing people, and it was miraculous. Peace, love, and healing to you.
December 2, 2013
And I also wanted to add that your skin looks beautiful, but you're beautiful inside and out! You showed what a wonderful heart that you have and those whom are in your life are very lucky to have such a wonderful beautiful person! I'm so glad that you're emotionally and mentally healing as that's such a big part of this journey! One must have emotional and mental stability in order to overcome, regardless the injury or situation that they are dealing with! I hope that you'll.continue to do an update on here as I'm sure that you've touched many hearts : )
December 3, 2013
I am very sorry that this had happened to you !!! Was this an allergic reaction?
December 3, 2013
Hello Manyanya,
No, it wasn't an allergic reaction! From what I'm gathering, it was a combination of the Radiesse and how the tech that injected it! "injector1" has a very in depth explanation of everything, which I highly recommend everyone to read it from beginning to end, including comments! It can save you or someone you know from the agony that this poor woman had to deal with! Thankfully she's come a long ways since then! She is such a beautiful woman inside and out and I wouldn't want anyone to ever go through her experience!
Happy Holiday everyone : )
December 10, 2013
Imamama2cuties2 is right. The injector blocked the flow of a facial artery, causing the tissues to die from not getting enough oxygen. They say this happens once in about 5,000 procedures. That is fine, as long as the injector knows how to recognize it and correct it right away. Injector education is HUGE. That is why I'm posting here. I really want all of you to go to injectors who are highly educated about possible complications and HOW TO TREAT THEM IMMEDIATELY!!! I just can't stress how important that is. Radiesse cannot be dissolved like HAs can be. HAs are Juvederm, Voluma, and Restylane, for the most part. imamama2cuties2, you are so kind. I really appreciate your thoughtful words. Take care and Happy Holidays to you too.
December 10, 2013
Really sad to hear this. I had small amount of acne on my face that I could not make go away. And my doc, Dr.Jain did the laser beam acne treatment which totally helped my acne. My face is clear and smooth. There was hardly any pain. it takes about 15 minutes- fast and easy. I had my treatment from fairview clinic, Toronto.
December 26, 2013
Jacqueline, so happy you had such a great experience. I have used a lot of laser on my face and scar too. It really, really helps! We are fortunate to live in an age of such wonderful technology. :-)
Thank you for your post,
J
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Your photos are beyond words and I'm so sorry you had to go through this. :(