How Is Radiesse® Different from Other Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are a heavyweight contender when you’re dealing with the visible signs of aging on your skin — deep creases, laxity, and lost volume. The injectable treatments fill the hollows and plump up your skin tone, addressing your issues quickly and attractively.

At Med Physique Center for Aesthetics in Austin, Texas, our aestheticians use a wide range of dermal fillers to address “static wrinkles,” the type caused by the loss of both collagen and subdermal fat that comes with age. Most fall into a particular category called hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, but Radiesse® is a bit different. Here’s how.

What dermal fillers do

The 1970s saw the rise of dermal fillers, but they were nothing like what’s used today. One of the first fillers was derived from bovine collagen. Unfortunately, the body’s immune system considers it a foreign substance, leading to allergic reactions and a lot of swelling at the injection site. The results didn’t last long, either.

In the early 2000s, the FDA approved the use of synthetic fillers made from HA. This compound occurs naturally and abundantly in our bodies, especially in the skin, where it works to bind and hold moisture. These new products were safer than collagen and lasted longer (about 6-12 months) and quickly became the fillers of choice. The first HA filler produced was Restylane®, followed by Juvéderm®.

Restylane adds volume to the lips and improves moderate to severe wrinkles and creases in other facial areas. It’s both biocompatible (no allergic reactions!) and biodegradable. As well as binding moisture, it fills in the spaces between the diminishing network of collagen and elastin protein fibers, evening skin tone.

Juvéderm contains a whole line of products, each formulation specific to a different area of the face and hands. These products work similarly to Restylane.

How is Radiesse different from other dermal fillers?

Med Physique Center for Aesthetics also uses dermal fillers from Radiesse®. It’s a synthetic compound not of HA but of calcium hydroxylapatite, naturally found in your bones and teeth. This gel supportes the skin’s surface, so you immediately see results. Then, over time, it interacts with the natural repair mechanisms in your tissues, increasing your body’s collagen production.

Your body naturally metabolizes the calcium hydroxylapatite, so it’s not a permanent solution; however, even as it’s broken down, the new collagen remains, making Radiesse more effective in the long-term against lines, wrinkles, and lost volume than the HA fillers.

Radiesse is especially effective for lines around the mouth and nose, filling in areas of fat loss in your face, specifically the hollows in your cheeks. Radiesse can also “de-age” the back of your hands, where lost volume reveals your age. Results from the injections last up to two years.

Looking to turn back the clock on age-related lines and creases? Dermal fillers, and particularly Radiesse, may be just what you need. To schedule a consultation with one of our aestheticians, call Med Physique Center for Aesthetics at 512-212-3142 or book online with us today.