Reclaim Your Youthful Face With Radiesse
Dec 02, 2019
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Adrienne Stewart MD
Adrienne Stewart MD
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You look at your reflection in the mirror in dismay. Your lips are thin. Your cheeks are gaunt. But you’re not quite ready for an extensive medical procedure. At Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology of Cherry Creek in Denver, CO, our mission is to help each of our clients achieve their aesthetic goals within their budget and timeframe. Today, we reveal how to reclaim your youthful face with Radiesse.
Radiesse is a type of injectable similar to the likes of Juvederm and Restylane. There are a few key differences, however. While most injectables are comprised of HA (hyaluronic acid), Radiesse is made of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) gel microspheres. While most injectables require you to wait one to three days before you start to see results, you can see the results of Radiesse as soon as you leave our office.
These microspheres get to work immediately upon injection. CaHA is made up of calcium and phosphate ions, which are chemical compounds which are found naturally in the human body.
This injectable gel is responsible for the initial volumizing of the treatment site. However, with time, CaHA also encourages your body to produce its own healthy, new collagen. This allows your skin to produce its own filler, allowing the results to last between one and two years. The carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the gel also create a structure mimicking the connective tissue elastin very effectively.
Depending on how many injections you need, treatment can take up to 15 minutes. You may need to account for an extra 30 to 60 minutes in our office if you are allergic to lidocaine and require a topical numbing ointment to mitigate the risk of pain or discomfort during treatment.
Before you receive your injections, you must come in for a one-on-one consultation with one of our aesthetic experts. Bring a list of all medications and supplements you are currently taking. Some medications and supplements, such as vitamin E, blood thinners, warfarin and aspirin, thin the blood. You may need to stop taking these for 72 hours before and after treatment.
You should also let us know if you have any issues with your hands, such as injuries, active diseases or disabilities. We also need to know if you have a history of scarring poorly. Finally, you should give us a history of other aesthetic treatments, such as chemical peels, that you’ve had done. This will help us create the best plan to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
You can expect an immediate improvement in volume at the injection sites. After a week, you will notice the full results of the treatment. While Radiesse is not permanent, you will need to repeat treatments only every year or two. Some clients prefer to have a small maintenance treatment in between major treatments to touch up small areas of volume loss.
One of the best parts about this treatment is you can return to your daily routine immediately. However, you will need to avoid strenuous activities, such as high intensity exercise, for the first 24 hours after treatment. This ensures none of the injectable accidentally leaves the intended site. For a similar reason, you should sleep on your back and avoid massaging the treatment sites for the first day after treatment.
Finally, avoid unprotected sun and heat exposure for the first 24 to 36 hours after treatment. Take a warm bath rather than a hot shower. Do not sunbathe, use a tanning bed or go outside without wearing sunscreen. If you have any questions about what to avoid after your treatment, call Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology of Cherry Creek in Denver, CO at (877) 345-3593.
There are many uses of this treatment. While it can safely and effectively be used to rejuvenate the hands, it is most commonly used to shave years off the face. It is often used to contour the cheeks without the need for an invasive medical procedure. But it can also plump up your lips, smooth out lip lines, eliminate chin wrinkles and reduce the appearance of the pre-jowl fold. These are just a few uses of this type of treatment. To determine if it can help you achieve your aesthetic goals, come in for a one-on-one consultation.
This is an incredibly safe, effective treatment with many uses. In fact, the FDA has approved it for nearly everyone. However, if you are pregnant or nursing, you should wait until you are done nursing to receive this treatment. Its effects have not yet been studied in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
If you are not pregnant or nursing and not allergic to any of the ingredients, you are probably an excellent candidate for this treatment. If you are allergic to lidocaine, you are not a good candidate for Radiesse (+) but may still be a good candidate for Radiesse. To be a good candidate for this treatment, it is also important that you do not have an active skin infection or serious blood disease or be taking a blood-thinning medication you cannot pause for 96 hours.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to beauty. Sometimes, you may need two or three types of treatments to achieve your ideal aesthetic. Luckily, Radiesse can be combined with a number of other non-invasive cosmetic treatments to help you take your look to the next level. These include laser skin treatments, chemical peels and microdermabrasion.
Microdermabrasion is one of the most commonly performed facial rejuvenation treatments performed in the world. This non-invasive treatment is used to rejuvenate the tone and texture of your skin. Whether your skin concerns are related to melasma, acne scars, age spots, wrinkles, sun damage, age spots or hyperpigmentation, microdermabrasion can benefit you greatly.
Microdermabrasion involves the use of a special application featuring an abrasive surface that sands away the upper layers of skin gently. The outer layers of your skin are made up of dead skin cells, often resulting in a ruddy, dull appearance. Microdermabrasion leaves your skin looking refreshed, rejuvenated, healthy and hydrated.
Chemical peels, on average, take between 30 and 90 minutes and are most commonly applied to the face. Chemical peels are usually used to treat hyperpigmentation, redness, scars, melasma, sun damage, wrinkles and fine lines. Light chemical peels require no downtime or special post-treatment care, while medium and deep chemical peels require two to three weeks of thoroughly protecting your skin from the sun.
Superficial, or light, chemical peels feature mild acids, such as alpha-hydroxy acid. This type of peel exfoliates gently and penetrates only the outermost layer of skin. Medium chemical peels use slightly stronger acids, like glycolic or trichloroacetic acids, to penetrate both the outer and middle layers of your skin. Similarly, deep peels penetrate the middle layer of your skin fully, removing damaged skin cells with acids like phenol acid or a stronger trichloroacetic acid.
Laser skin resurfacing treats the same skin conditions and concerns as Radiesse, chemical peels and microdermabrasion. However, they are more customizable for your skin tone, texture, type and condition. Ablative laser treatments, such as the Erbium laser or a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, remove the outer layers of the skin. Erbium lasers are used to treat superficial skin concerns, like fine lines and wrinkles. CO2 lasers are used to eliminate deep wrinkles, warts, scars and other more significant skin concerns.
Non-ablative lasers rejuvenate the face without removing the outer layers of the skin. Instead, your skin is penetrated by a fractional, pulsed-dye or intense pulsed light laser. This type of treatment is sought after if your skin does not respond to more traditional treatments, such as prescription ointments and over-the-counter creams.
Microneedling is another excellent complement to Radiesse. It is safe for all skin types and tones and enhances your natural beauty, as well as making other skin care treatments more effective. It stimulates your body’s natural collagen production by creating “micro-injuries” when the very fine needles penetrate your skin. It is most commonly used to improve the tone and texture of your skin, tighten your skin without the need for an invasive medical procedure, smooth out acne and burn scars and fill in fine lines and wrinkles.
The number of treatments required to achieve your ideal results depends on the current health of your skin, which conditions you are trying to treat and how severe your conditions are. However, most of our clients achieve their ideal results with three to six treatments scheduled every two to six weeks. Luckily, microneedling only takes around half an hour to perform, depending on the size and location of the treatment sites.
Am I a Good Candidate for Microneedling?
Men and women aged 18 and older are good candidates for microneedling. However, whether this treatment is right for you or not depends on several factors. To determine if you are an ideal candidate for microneedling, come in for a one-on-one consultation. Whether your goal is to treat acne or trauma scars, reduce hyperpigmentation, reverse the visible signs of sun damage or look years younger, a combination of microneedling and Radiesse may be able to help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Juvederm is an injectable dermal filler that may be used to complement or take the place of calcium-based microsphere injections. While calcium-based microsphere injections prompt your body to produce healthy collagen, extending the duration of results drastically, Juvederm only lasts up to 18 months before a follow-up treatment is required. Juvederm is made up of synthetic hyaluronic acid, which some people may be allergic to.
One of the most significant differences between calcium-based microsphere injections and Juvederm is that Juvederm treatment takes between 15 and 60 minutes. To be a good candidate for Juvederm, you must be at least 21 years of age. You should not receive this treatment if you have a history of anaphylactic shock, certain blood disorders or multiple severe allergies. You must also stop taking all blood-thinning medications and supplements for several days before and after your treatment.
You don’t have to settle for hollow, sunken cheeks, wrinkles and other signs of aging. But you don’t necessarily need cheek implants, lip implants or a facelift, either. To create a customized treatment plan for shaving years off your face without surgery and downtime, contact the professional aesthetic experts at Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology of Cherry Creek in Denver, CO today to schedule your initial consultation.