How many people end up with a lot of swelling or unevenness after radiesse (dermal fillers)? i'm really interested in getting this, but i'm worried about possible severe side effects. how likely is a bad reaction?

A : A bad reaction to Radiesse is quite rare, but the results can be quite injector dependent. Radiesse is not easily reversible (unlike Restylane (dermal fillers) or juvederm), but great results are certainly attainable with it. The amount of post-treatment swelling is variable among patients and depends which area(s) are treated.

Bad : Bad reactions to Radiesse (dermal fillers) are a non-issue. The worst "side-effects" are redness, bruising, and swelling. The swelling is very short lived- ice will reduce it, almost immediately. Redness always occurs, but most of my patients leave the office with little to no redness. Bruising is the most rare-i have only ever had one case with bruising and my patient took arnica and the bruise was completely gone in less than 48 hours. As far as the unevenness, as the other doctors elledued to, in capable hands, you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure you doc has done numerous Radiesse (dermal fillers) injections. Immediately after injecting, he/she should smooth the filler out with his/her finger tips. Before you leave the office, gently feel the areas for lumps. They can be smoothed out with gentle massaging, if done just after the injections. Good luck!

Swelling : Swelling or lumps or asymmetry can occur with any dermal filler. Radiesse is a thick white substance and it is less forgiving to back technique. It is harder to mess up juvederm or Restylane (dermal fillers) but all of these are technique dependent. A good injector can get you good results with minimal risk and a bad injector can make you look odd. There are some other issues as well. For example Radiesse should never be injected in the lips no matter how good the injector is. See a few good plastic or facial plastic surgeons and do not base your decision on cost-savings alone. You often get what you pay for.

Radiesse (dermal fillers) : Radiesse (dermal fillers) is a common injectable filler that few complications when injected by an experienced and skilled practitioner. Don't go to the mall, beauty salon or dentist to get fillers. Find an expert (www.Asoprs.Org) - oculoplastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, dermatologist or general plastic surgeon who has been injecting for a few years and you will do well.

I : I personally don't appreciate the "dentist" comment. I have been doing Botox a dermal fillers for years. No medical profession is trained more than a dentist in facial anatomy. At the dental school i attended, temple, we had a full semester class on head & neck anatomy. On a side note, i had a friend, as she says "butchered" by a dermatologist. She was badly bruised and swollen after the injections. I have had nothing but positive results with no bruising. Everyone gets a little redness and swelling post-op. I send my patients home with small ice packs. The most important things to look for in finding a provider to administer dermal fillers is training & experience. Ask the doctor you are considering doing the procedure for other patient recommendations who he/she has treated. Most of us like taking before and after photographs, too. The medical professional i would seek out is a facial plastic surgeon, facial dermatologist, or a dentist. Do not allow anyone other than one of these types of doctors do dermal fillers.