Skin can look tired even when you feel youthful and healthy. You may have deep lines around your mouth or a softening jawline, or a neck that has lost firmness, and your hands may even start to show signs of collagen loss as you age. Radiesse addresses this loss of collagen directly. At Aledo Empowered Wellness in Aledo, TX, this injectable is one of the tools we use to restore facial structure while helping your body rebuild its own support tissue. Every treatment is built around your face and considers your health and well-being.
What Is Radiesse?
Radiesse is an FDA-approved injectable filler made of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres that are suspended in a water-based gel. Calcium hydroxylapatite is a mineral compound found naturally in human bone, which is why the body recognizes it and tolerates it well. The microspheres are smooth and tiny, and they are placed in areas where volume has thinned out.
How Does Radiesse Work?
Radiesse does two things at once. The gel carrier fills the treated area right away, so you see a difference the day of your appointment. Underneath, the calcium microspheres act as a scaffold. Your fibroblasts, the cells responsible for building connective tissue, recognize the scaffold and begin laying down new collagen and elastin along it. Over the next several weeks, the gel is gradually absorbed and metabolized while your own tissue takes its place. By the three-month mark, what you see is your own collagen rather than product.
What Does Radiesse Treat?
Facial Volume Loss
Radiesse is used for nasolabial folds, the lines that start at the nose and go to the corners of the mouth. They also help with deep lines that pull the corners of the mouth downward, often known as marionette lines. These lines result from loss of collagen and get deeper with age. Radiesse also restores lost projection in the cheeks. The scaffolding helps repair these areas without puffiness or overfilling, because your body is doing most of the work.
Hand Rejuvenation
Sometimes hands age faster than other skin because they are more exposed to the sun, but they rarely get the same attention as the face. As the fat pad on the back of the hand thins and the skin loses collagen, the tendons become more prominent, and the skin looks more aged. Radiesse provides more cushioning to reduce the visible appearance of veins and tendons and also improves the surface texture of the skin through collagen production.
Jawline and Chin Definition
A combination of bone resorption and skin laxity can cause the chin and jawline to look less refined with time. Radiesse is used on the jaw and chin to sharpen the border between the face and neck and improve facial proportions. This treatment helps with skin that has started to sag while creating the look of more volume in the jawline and chin.
The Gold Protocol: Diluted Radiesse for the Face and Neck
Sometimes what a patient needs most is tighter, smoother-feeling skin in areas like the neck and lower face. These are areas where the tissue is thinner and more delicate than the cheeks or jawline. For these concerns, we offer the Gold Protocol, a method that trades traditional volumizing strength for broader biostimulation.
For this method, we dilute Radiesse with saline and a small amount of lidocaine. This changes the product’s consistency from a thicker, structural gel into a lighter and more fluid solution that can be distributed evenly across the tissue. The calcium microspheres still do their work, but for a broader area. The Gold Protocol is especially effective for:
- Crepey or lax skin on the neck and décolletage
- Loss of definition along the jawline
- Fine lines and uneven skin texture
- General skin thinning associated with collagen loss
We may use this strategy on its own or alongside standard Radiesse injections. Results will be most visible around three months after injection of diluted Radiesse.
What Are the Benefits of Radiesse?
- Natural-Looking Results: Because much of the final result comes from your own collagen, the results look natural. Faces treated with Radiesse still move naturally and don’t have the pillowy or overfilled look that can come from injecting too much filler.
- Long-Lasting Correction: Because a significant portion of the results come from your body’s collagen production, results can last longer than typical dermal fillers, which can get absorbed more quickly.
- Minimal Downtime: There is no long recovery period with Radiesse. Most patients go right back to work, errands or their normal evening the same day. Swelling and bruising are mild and resolve quickly.
- Versatile Treatment Areas: One product can address several areas at once, so you can treat multiple concerns without juggling multiple injectables.
- Improved Skin Quality and Texture: With the Gold Protocol, diluted Radiesse can improve the tone, texture and firmness of the skin.
What to Expect During Your Radiesse Treatment
Initial Consultation
Your first visit is a chance for us to look at your facial structure at rest and in motion to see what types of treatments may benefit your skin. We will talk to you about what bothers you and review your medical history and prior injectable treatments. If Radiesse is a good option, we will map out where the product should go and the amount of product that is right for you. If Radiesse will not benefit you, we will recommend a treatment that will.
Injection Process
Before we inject Radiesse, we make sure the treatment area is clean. We deliver Radiesse through a fine needle or a blunt-tipped cannula, depending on the depth at which we are injecting the product. After each placement, we massage the product to help it spread evenly throughout the tissue.
Comfort Measures
Radiesse can be mixed with lidocaine, a numbing medication, before injection to help with discomfort during treatment. We also apply a topical numbing cream 20-30 minutes before injecting, which helps reduce sensation. The treatment is well-tolerated and over quickly.
How to Prepare for Your Radiesse Treatment
Preparation for injectable treatments is simple, but certain steps can make a difference in your recovery. For a week before your injectable treatments, we have you avoid blood-thinning substances (as approved by your prescribing physician) such as medications, supplements or alcohol. This may include aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E, high-dose garlic supplements and more. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and can raise the chance of bruising.
Come to your appointment with clean skin and don’t wear makeup on the treatment area. You can eat beforehand and wear comfortable clothes. If you have an event coming up, schedule your treatment at least two weeks in advance so any minor swelling or bruising has time to settle. Tell us in advance if you have any history of cold sores or if you have any prior reactions to injectables.
After Your Radiesse Appointment
Immediate Aftercare
Expect mild swelling, redness or tenderness at the injection sites. You can apply ice in short intervals to help with swelling and discomfort. Always use a cloth to protect your skin from direct exposure to the cold. Sleep with your head slightly elevated, and do not massage or press on the treated areas unless your injector instructs you to.
Timeline for Results
You will see improvement in volume the same day as your treatment from the carrier gel. Any swelling that you experience at first should settle within the first week and enable you to see the initial results. Collagen production will take place over the next two to three months. At this point, your skin will look and feel firmer, and you will continue to enjoy increased volume where the product was injected.
Activities to Avoid
As your skin recovers from the treatment, avoid heavy workouts or extreme temperatures, such as saunas, hot tubs, hot yoga or sun exposure. Avoid additional treatments like facials, chemical peels, laser treatments or other injectables unless we have specifically planned them into your treatment schedule.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Radiesse?
Radiesse suits adults in good general health who have moderate to severe volume loss and want structure restored. It is not suitable for those who are pregnant or nursing or who have a skin infection at the injection site. Be sure to check with your injector to make sure you do not have any allergies to any components of the product. Radiesse is also not suitable for those with a bleeding disorder or for those who want to increase volume in the lips. The best candidates are those who understand the treatment and what it can do, and have good expectations for the end result.
Frequently Asked Questions About Radiesse
How many Radiesse sessions will I need?
You will likely get the results you are looking for with a single session. If you have more significant volume loss, we may recommend more than one treatment, spaced several weeks apart to allow for collagen production in between sessions. Maintenance of your results may include occasional touch-up appointments.
How long do Radiesse results last?
Longevity depends on the area where we inject the product. Radiesse will last 12-18 months in the face and 24 months in the hands.
Can Radiesse be combined with other treatments?
Radiesse pairs well with neuromodulators such as Botox®, which address movement lines Radiesse cannot. It also combines with hyaluronic acid filler in areas that call for a softer product, and with energy-based skin treatments once the injection sites have settled. We sequence combination plans so treatments support each other rather than compete.
Can Radiesse be used on all skin tones?
Radiesse carries no increased risk of pigmentation changes for patients with deeper skin tones. It is important to find an experienced injector who prioritizes injection technique and product placement, regardless of your skin tone, for results that are even and natural-looking across every complexion.
Can I wear makeup after Radiesse?
We recommend that you wait around 12 to 24 hours to reapply makeup over the treated area. Injection sites are tiny open channels until they heal, and makeup brushes and sponges can transfer germs to these delicate areas. When you do resume, be sure to use clean tools and products, and be gentle over the injection sites.
What is the right age for Radiesse?
Radiesse is approved for adults over 21. Most patients seeking it are in their late thirties through their sixties, when collagen loss becomes visible. There is no upper age limit. Older patients with good skin quality often see excellent results, and starting earlier with smaller amounts usually means needing less intervention later.
How is Radiesse different from other dermal fillers?
Hyaluronic acid fillers such as JUVÉDERM® and Restylane® are gels that attract water. They are soft and flexible, ideal for lips and fine lines, last six to twelve months and can be dissolved with an enzyme. Radiesse is thicker, lifts more and stimulates collagen, but it cannot be dissolved. Sculptra builds collagen without the immediate volume for patients who want more gradual results.
How much does Radiesse cost?
Cost depends on how many syringes your treatment plan calls for, which varies based on the areas being treated and the degree of volume loss. Hands typically need less product than a full midface correction. We will quote an exact price at your consultation before anything is scheduled.
About Aledo Empowered Wellness
Aledo Empowered Wellness was founded by Travis MacKenzie, MD, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, and his wife, Marisa MacKenzie, PA-C, who built the practice around the idea that medicine should be personal. Both are lifelong athletes. He began competitive bodybuilding in his forties, and together they owned and operated a gym in California before relocating to Texas. Aledo Empowered Wellness has an emphasis on preventive medicine, healthy living and long-term function, even with cosmetic treatments such as Radiesse.
We are not a franchise, and every plan is built for the patient in front of us after a real conversation about goals, history and what will hold up over time. Patients see the same providers at every visit, and those providers listen. Our patients keep coming back because of our continuity of care and holistic approach.
Schedule Your Radiesse Consultation Today
If deep folds, a softening jawline or aging hands are bothering you, a consultation is the fastest way to find out whether Radiesse is the right tool. We will assess your face, explain your options honestly and build a plan around what you want. Call Aledo Empowered Wellness at 817-646-8935 to schedule your Radiesse consultation in Aledo, TX.
