Radiesse and Sculptra are FDA-approved volumizing, collagen-stimulating, deep dermal to subcutaneous injectable cosmetic fillers. Unlike the Juvederm and Restylane family of fillers, Radiesse and Sculptra are not hyaluronic acid-based injectable fillers.
Radiesse
Radiesse was the first FDA-approved injectable dermal filler approved for hand augmentation to correct age-related volume loss of the back of the hands, referred to as Radiesse Hands. Radiesse is also FDA approved for smoothing moderate to severe face wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.
Radiesse is an FDA approved injectable deep filler used to volumize (i.e. restore lost facial or hand volume associated with aging, among other conditions) and create a scaffolding to stimulate your own new natural collagen. Radiesse is commonly used in performing a “Liquid facelift“, a non-invasive, injectable only procedure that delivers facelift-like results; Radiesse can also be used to improve / plump the backs of aging hands. Results last 1-2 years or more. Additionally, Radiesse can be combined with most cosmetic procedures for synergistic effects.
What is Radiesse?
Radiesse is an injectable filler composed of synthetically produced smooth calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a sodium carboxymethylcellulose water-based gel carrier. Radiesse volumizing filler contains 30% CaHA and 70% gel carrier. CaHA is a naturally occurring component of bone and teeth and is radio-opaque (i.e. can be seen on X-rays and CT scans).
How Radiesse Works
Aging skin loses natural support structures that help keep skin supple and youthful. As the years go by, collagen and elastin diminish within the skin, resulting in wrinkles and creases. Radiesse is a wrinkle filler used to plump the skin. Injected through a small needle placed under the skin, Radiesse immediately adds volume under the skin and over time, the benefits of Radiesse continue by naturally stimulating your body’s own natural collagen. These natural results have been shown to last a year or more in many patients; thus, results are both immediate and durable.
Mechanism of Action
Once injected, Radiesse not only provides immediate volume and correction, but also stimulates your body/skin to make its own natural collagen. Over time, the aqueous gel is absorbed and your body breaks down the CaHA microspheres leaving behind only your own natural collagen.
Why choose Radiesse?
- Radiesse immediately replenishes lost volume and stimulates the production of your own natural collagen with results that can last 1-2 years or more.
- Radiesse provides results with high patient satisfaction
- Radiesse is FDA approved to mix with lidocaine to reduce injection pain
Radiesse injections are generally safe, effective, non-surgical and painless to minimally painful without any significant downtime. We use proven safe, gentle and easy anesthetic options for your added comfort; including, prescription topical anesthetics and injectable local anesthetic. Looking younger and less wrinkled begins immediately. However any swelling & bruising that may occur masks final results until gone. To minimize bruising and swelling, avoid aspirin & aspirin containing products for at least one week prior Radiesse injections, if possible and avoid ibuprofen (i.e. Advil, Motrin) for 3 days prior Radiesse injections. Avoid other blood thinners per your prescribing physician’s recommendation. Contraindications include allergy to Radiesse, pregnancy and nursing and significant bleeding disorders. Also, avoid injecting into infected skin. Lips and under eyes are generally avoided due to lack of safety data. The most common side effects are bruising, redness, swelling, pain and itching. Reversible lumps or bumps (i.e. nodules) have been rarely reported to occur. Serious adverse events are rare, but may include tissue damage from unintended intravascular injection, allergic reaction and infection. Minimize strenuous activity and avoid extensive sun or heat exposure for 24 hours after Radiesse injections and until any swelling or redness has resolved. Ice / cold packs and ibuprofen may be used after injections as needed. Results usually last from 1 to 2 years or sometimes, longer.
Radiesse anti-aging face and / or hand cosmetic injections are one of the top cosmetic services we perform. Anyone interested in looking younger or reducing face and/or hand aging changes, including both young and old can benefit from Radiesse treatments at Strimling Dermatology, Laser & Vein Institute of Las Vegas by award winning cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Robert Strimling, MD.
With over 25 years experience, our compassionate and caring Dr. Strimling is one of the most experienced cosmetic dermatologists in Las Vegas. Also, our dermatologists have been voted or selected among the "Best Dermatologists" in Las Vegas and America multiple years.
Strimling Dermatology, Laser & Vein Institute of Summerlin, Las Vegas treats patients not only from all over the Clark County valley and nearby areas, but also, nationally and internationally.
Contact us at info@strimderm.com or call us at (702) 243-6400 for more information and or to schedule a Radiesse volumizing filler consultation.
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Sculptra
Sculptra Aesthetic (or Sculptra) can make you look and feel younger and more attractive!
Sculptra is our preferred long lasting, collagen stimulating, deep injectable bulk filling agent. Sculptra injections restore and correct the signs of facial (or other areas) fat loss (lipoatrophy) by replacing the lost volume. Lipoatrophy is the loss of fat below the skin, commonly associated with aging, but also, other medical or genetic conditions. Facial lipoatrophy is characterized by sunken / indented / hollow cheeks, temples, eyes and/or other areas, as well as prominent nasolabial folds (the “parentheses” from nose to lip) and marionette lines that frame your mouth.
Sculptra is also the gold standard cosmetic filler used in non-surgical buttocks enhancement and a specialty of our award winning cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Robert Strimling, MD.
What is Sculptra?
Sculptra is an injectable product made of “Poly-L-Lactic Acid” (aka PLLA). PLLA is a synthetic material that is biocompatible (i.e. does not harm the body) and biodegradable (i.e. able to be broken down by the body). PLLA has been used safely for decades in dissolvable sutures and surgical implants. Also, Sculptra has been used safely in over 30 countries and 150,000 patients since 1999 under the trade names of New-Fill, Sculptra and Sculptra Aesthetic.
Sculptra Aesthetic is carefully injected below the skin surface into the area(s) of fat loss. Sculptra injections gradually restore diminished facial volume by increasing skin and subcutaneous thickness through new collagen stimulation; thus, helping to create a more natural, youthful facial appearance.
[Collagen is a key structural skin component abundant in healthy, youthful skin. Wrinkles and other skin aging changes are associated with diminished collagen as a result of collagen break down and decreased new collagen production.]
Sculptra Aesthetic is not a quick-fix, as new collagen deposition builds during and after a recommended series of 3-5 treatments over several months, giving you a subtle, natural-looking improvement without giving you away. Results are enduring, lasting up to 2 years or longer per a clinical study. Periodic touch-ups are recommended at one to two year intervals or as desired.
Sculptra Aesthetic injection treatments are safe, effective, non-surgical, painless to minimally painful and without any significant downtime. No prior skin testing for allergic reaction is needed. We use proven safe and gentle anesthetic options for your added comfort; including, prescription-strength topical anesthetics, injectable local anesthetic, and or other medications.
Specializing in minimally invasive & non-invasive cosmetic & laser treatments, including Sculptra, Las Vegas cosmetic dermatologist Dr Strimling is an expert Sculptra Aesthetic injection specialist with over 25 years experience.
Las Vegas Sculptra Aesthetic Indications:
Sculptra Aesthetic is used for a variety of cosmetic concerns, including most commonly to restore a more youthful and full appearance (often called a Sculptra “Non-surgical facelift” or “Liquid Facelift”) by restoring lost volume, eliminating or reducing static facial wrinkles and folds and / or enhancing or augmenting facial structures, including:
- Sculptra injections for upper lateral face (“temporal hollows”) restoration
- Sculptra injections for lower face folds / lines including nasolabial folds (aka smile lines) – the folds between the nose and the mouth, marionette lines, and chin wrinkles
- Sculptra injections for jowls (i.e. the pre-jowl sulcus)
- Sculptra injections for cheek, chin and jaw restoration or augmentation
- Sculptra injections for other facial fat atrophy conditions
- Sculptra injections for hand rejuvenation
Sculptra is not recommended for crow’s feet, corners of the mouth nor lips.
Contraindications to Sculptra injections include pregnancy, nursing, history of keloid scars or allergy to any ingredients of Sculptra, if known.
What is the difference between Sculptra and the other fillers
and how do I decide what is right for me?
Injectable anti-aging treatments can be broadly divided into three categories:
- Muscle Relaxers (i.e. Botox, Dysport and Xeomin),
- Wrinkle Fillers, which also come in two types, Superficial and Deep and
- Aesthetic Cell Therapies (e.g. LaViv)
Muscle relaxers, such as Botox, are best for dynamic wrinkles of the upper face.
Useful for both superficial and deeper applications, hyaluronic acid fillers, including Restylane, Juvederm & others are indicated for direct filling of lower face “static” wrinkles, lines and folds. Restylane or Juvederm are also preferred for filling lips and lower eyelid hollows.
Deep, volumizing, collagen stimulating fillers, like Sculptra, are best suited for restoration of facial or dorsal hand volume associated with lipoatrophy (fat loss) or to aesthetically enhance or augment cheeks, chin, jaws or other areas, including the buttocks.
Often a combination of these treatments is recommended for best results. Sculptra full face volume replacement alone or in combination with Botox for the upper face and Restylane or Juvederm for direct wrinkle filling is referred to as a non-surgical facelift or “liquid” facelift.
What to expect after a Sculptra injection treatment?
Swelling, redness, bleeding / bruising and pain, lasting several hours to days and occasionally several weeks, may occur after Sculptra injection treatments. Immediate swelling from anesthetic and/or water used to reconstitute Sculptra often provides a short-lived improvement that fades as the swelling subsides, but then, again improves as new collagen is stimulated over several months.
Aftercare includes:
- Apply ice packs for 5-15 minutes per hour the first day to reduce any swelling.
- Avoid excessive sun exposure until any initial swelling or redness has resolved.
- Starting on your Sculptra treatment day, begin massaging the treatment areas for 5 minutes, 5 times a day for 5 days to help diperse the Sculptra particles.
Most patients feel comfortable going back to their normal activities the same day.
Make-up may be applied a few hours after treatment unless bleeding is present.
Other possible Sculptra side effects
Small, non-visible, but palpable bumps under the skin in the treated areas within 6-12 months after treatment may occur, but usually resolve without any intervention. Visible or red bumps have been reported. However, with the newer dilution method and proper injection technique, we have not seen any of these described side effects. All injections carry a risk of infection. Please contact us should you have any side effects.
To minimize bruising and swelling, avoid aspirin & aspirin containing products for at least one week prior Sculptra injections and avoid ibuprofen (i.e. Advil and Motrin) for 3 days prior Sculptra injections. Avoid other blood thinners per your prescribing physician’s advice.
Sculptra non-surgical “liquid” facelifts are one of the top cosmetic services we perform.
Anyone interested in looking younger or reducing face wrinkles / lines of aging or cosmetically enhancing / volumizing their face / hands or buttocks, including both young and old can benefit from Sculptra treatments by our award winning cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Robert Strimling, MD at Strimling Dermatology, Laser & Vein Institute of Las Vegas, NV.
With over 25 years experience, our compassionate and caring Dr. Strimling is one of the most experienced cosmetic dermatologists in Las Vegas.
Strimling Dermatology, Laser & Vein Institute of Summerlin, Las Vegas treats patients not only from all over the Clark County valley and nearby areas, but also, nationally and internationally.
Contact us at info@strimderm.com or call us at (702) 243-6400 to schedule a Sculptra consult with Dr. Robert Strimling, MD.
You may also visit Sculptra Aesthetic for more information.