Calcium Hydroxyapatite is an injectable dermal filler used to treat certain areas of the face, neck, hands & body. This treatment works by stimulating the body’s natural collagen, filling in wrinkles, and aiding your skin in developing new collagen in the process. It’s main purpose is to treat wrinkles and folds around the mouth and nose, as well as various areas of fat loss in the face.

Radiesse® is made of calcium hydroxylapatite gel microspheres, and elements in the gel help to create a structure that mimics connective tissue. It has a firmer viscosity so may be chosen for deeper furrows and to augment or replace volume loss to areas like the cheekbones, jawline, and chin.

While patients' goals with dermal fillers like Radiesse® may vary, you'll find overall, the treatment is most commonly used to address facial texture and structure. A few of Radiesse®'s benefits are as follows:

• Reduces signs of aging

• Used to fill specific areas of the face and hands, mainly around the mouth and jawline, and the back of hands where volume has been lost

• Can help to re-contour the nose, cheeks, and jawline

Potential side effects of Radiesse® include temporary bruising, swelling, redness, itch and discomfort from the injection, allergic reaction, infection, and lumps or nodules, as well as an undesirable cosmetic outcome.

If you feel discomfort or discover bruising after the procedure, it is recommend to take an over-the-counter medicine to alleviate the pain. If swelling does occur, it should go down in no more than 72 hours.

To reduce bruising and swelling after treatment, you can apply ice—but be careful not to burn the skin that may still be numbed from anesthetic. Dietary supplements like arnica and bromelain can also help.

Though it’s rare, you may also temporarily experience sensation loss and difficulty with normal movement. If filler is injected into a blood vessel, it can cause occlusion of the blood vessel and severe side effects, including tissue necrosis and even very rarely, blindness. Radiesse® cannot be immediately dissolved the way that hyaluronic acid filler can be to reverse an occlusion.

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers are a type of temporary dermal fillers designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Unlike other anti-aging injections, HA—which is actually a sugar—naturally exists in the skin and is a key component in the skin's ability to retain water for a plump, hydrated complexion.

When hyaluronic acid fillers are injected into the skin, the filler attracts more water. In fact, it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water—which ultimately lead to the appearance of naturally plump skin. For this reason, HA fillers are commonly used all over the face.

• Stimulates collagen production

• Adds volume

• Smoothes texture

• Decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

• HA exists naturally in the body

• Lasts up to a year

Hyaluronic acid fillers add volume and decrease wrinkles all in one visit, with results that typically last six months to a year. HA fillers can stimulate collagen production, which leads to fresher-looking skin, and can be used for preventative reasons, to combat volume loss and fine lines earlier on in the aging process.

Considering HA is found naturally in the body, the risk of adverse side effects is pretty unlikely. That said, as with all facial injections, there’s always the chance of redness, swelling, or slight bruising. A wonderful element to HA fillers is that they can be adjusted. A trained practitioner can inject additional filler or can dissolve it altogether. In case you don’t love your results, HA fillers are easy to tweak.