Wrinkles and folds in the skin can betray a person’s age, but there are medical products approved to restore a more youthful appearance. Radiesse is an injectable product approved by the Food and Drug Administration to fill in wrinkles and folds in the face and the hands. While Radiesse has shown success in rejuvenating the skin, it’s not for everyone and it’s only appropriate for specific sites on the body. It’s important to understand where Radiesse should and should not be used in the skin in order to determine whether you use the product.
Radiesse is what’s called a dermal filler. “Instead of improving the appearance of the skin from the outside, Radiesse works from the inside,” explains Dr. Miriam Hanson, a board certified Dermatologist and cosmetic expert at Sanova Dermatology. The product, which contains minerals suspended in a gel, is injected just below the surface of the skin in order to fill in the gaps and spaces that cause the facial wrinkles characteristic of aging. The FDA first approved Radiesse in 2006 as a way of correcting moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. In 2015, the FDA gave Merz, the company that makes Radiesse, the marketing approval to sell the product for use in the hands, as well.
Cause For Concern?
Radiesse has demonstrated the ability to be effective in restoring volume to the skin, but its use does come with some limitations and words of caution. Last year, the FDA issued a warning that injection of dermal fillers, including Radiesse, could cause injury if the product were unintentionally injected into a blood vessel. “There are risks with any medical procedure and these events have been reported in the medical literature,” says Dr. Hanson. These unintentional injections can block the blood vessel, restricting the flow of blood to skin and tissues. “Although extremely rare, the most worrisome ones include vision impairment and damage to the overlying skin tissue.” The sites most associated with problems include the skin between the eyebrows and nose, the area in and around the nose, and the forehead.
“Patients should understand why it is important to find a physician experienced with these injections,” says Dr. Hanson. Clinical trials have shown Radiesse to be safe and effective when injected in the face and in the hands. But the product should be administered by a trained and experienced professional who understands the risks of these injections, can recognize adverse reactions, and can treat patients if problems arise.
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Are you interested in restoring lost volume or minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and facial folds? Contact us for a professional assessment of whether Radiesse is right for you.