Problems with Radiesse.

Radiesse injected in the upper cheek area and and 2nd injection a week later in lower cheek bone area. Nodules have now formed in this area after swelling for a number of weeks. I have since. I now have sagging cheeks, sagging/pouches either side of my mouth, all of which I did not have before. Could this be from the heaviness of the product? Once the product has left my face, should my skin return to normal or is there permanent damage due to swelling and sagging over a period of time? I am 37years of age. Thank you.

You bring up some good points.  But, first let me reassure you that your skin should return to normal once the product is gone.   I am assuming though that you have seen the doctor who injected the Radiesse and had him/her do a thorough assessment of the problem.   It’s important that you follow up with her/him in person and not just on the phone. 

These types of problems are one reason I’m not a huge fan of Radiesse.  If there is a problem with Juvederm/Restylane (the fillers in the hyaluronic acid group), a bump can be corrected with an injection of a small amount of an enzyme to dissolve it. For more information see my article on Filler Mistakes & How to Fix Them.

If Sculptra is mixed correctly, injected correctly and massaged correctly, bumps are very rare.  But, these types of bumps can occur with Sculptra too. 

Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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