In this article, Dr. Godin discusses Radiesse’s ability to create structural collagen support and it’s ability to stimulate the skin’s foundation making it a favorable option for facial volumetric lifting and contouring.
Radiesse’s ability to create structural collagen support and stimulate the skin’s foundation makes it [a] favorable option for volumetric lifting and contouring. For Richmond, Virginia-based facial plastic surgeon Michael Godin, MD, FACS, Radiesse is the filler of choice, “I use Radiesse extensively in my practice. Its longevity and lifting capacity make it my go-to filler for facial contouring. I tell patients that Radiesse is the cake and hyaluronic acids—such as Juvederm and Restylane—are the icing. I often use multiple filler types in combination, placing the Radiesse deep to the hyaluronic acid, to provide a foundation.”
According to Dr. Godin, “I see so many patients with sagging in the midface which can begin as early as the 30s and is almost universal by [the age of] 50. As the midface descends, the bony rim of the orbit is exposed and any prominent lower eyelid fat is displayed in sometimes dramatic relief. The sagging tissue gathers just above the nasolabial fold, creating a triangular valley between the lower lid and lower cheek.
Radiesse is the ideal material to correct this deformity. It is a sculptural process—one I enjoy. I prefer to place Radiesse in the subcutaneous plane. I imagine myself layering just beneath the fat. I don’t like to go deeper with it as it can track to the infraorbital nerve in this location and cause problems. After injecting I spend quite a bit of time positioning the Radiesse with my hands—feathering the edges of it for the most natural-looking effect.”
With advanced facial contouring techniques, practitioners are able to produce more facelift-like results to meet patients’ demands for long-lasting, non-surgical treatment options. “Years ago, I would have had to take these patients to the OR under anesthesia, make a cut and dissect through their cheek tissue to the bone, and place a synthetic implant that could move, get infected or become terribly obvious-looking with the passage of time and thinning of tissue,” says Dr. Godin. “With my Radiesse technique, [patients] are in the office for 30 minutes and walk out with great-looking cheeks that will last them a year.”
Lewis, Wendy. “Volume Matters.” MedEsthetics. Vol 7. Number 6. Nov/Dec 2011: 22, 24. Web.