Radiesse, a collagen booster for the face
A little support on the day, then your own collagen building through the months that follow. Our doctors use Radiesse® across the cheeks, the folds around the mouth and the jawline.
What makes Radiesse a collagen booster
Radiesse® belongs to a group of injectables called biostimulators. It is made from calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a sodium carboxymethylcellulose gel, and those two parts do different work. The gel gives lift where it is placed. The microspheres stimulate collagen and elastin, and as the gel is gradually absorbed, your own new tissue carries on the job.
That is why Merz Aesthetics describes it as offering both vertical lifting and long-term rejuvenation. For the product itself, start with our main Radiesse treatment page. To see how it differs from HArmonyCa and Sculptra, read our guide to collagen stimulators.
Four areas, four different jobs
Radiesse comes in two versions. Radiesse®+ also contains lidocaine, a local anaesthetic, and Merz’s UK page lists different areas for each.
Cheeks
Where lost volume can flatten the face and deepen the shadows below. Merz lists the cheeks for both Radiesse and Radiesse®+.
Nasolabial folds
The lines that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Merz lists them for both versions.
Marionette lines
The lines running down from the corners of the mouth, which can make a resting face look tired. Merz lists them for Radiesse®+.
Jawline
Merz describes defined lower face and jawline contours, and lists the jawline for Radiesse®+. A clearer edge can change how the lower face reads.
When a face needs support and skin quality
Filler can restore shape at a specific point, and for some faces that is all that is needed. Radiesse suits a different conversation: the skin itself has softened, and you would like firmer, stronger-looking tissue as well as a little support. Because the collagen response carries on after your appointment, the change can look gradual and natural.
It also comes up when a face has lost padding after rapid weight loss. Dr Yasmin Tayeb, our founder, uses Radiesse and HArmonyCa to layer up collagen in the skin, a subtle treatment rather than a sudden one. Our guide to your face after weight loss explains the wider plan.
How the change unfolds
On the day
An initial change may be visible from the supporting gel. The appointment takes about 45 minutes, and Radiesse®+ contains lidocaine to help with comfort.
The first weeks
Any bruising, swelling or tenderness settles. Your review lets your doctor see how your skin is responding.
From three months
Collagen-related improvement usually becomes visible from around three months, and Dr Yasmin describes it as a gradual, subtle change.
Six months and beyond
The improvement continues through six months and beyond, and can last well over a year before a top-up is considered.
Radiesse®, by Merz Aesthetics
Merz Aesthetics makes both Radiesse® and Radiesse®+, and points to more than 20 years of clinical experience and over 220 peer-reviewed publications. Merz intends them for deep dermal and sub-dermal soft tissue augmentation of the facial area and the backs of the hands. Individual results may vary.
At Wellface, Radiesse is planned and injected by our doctors only.
Dr Yasmin on collagen and facial volume
Why collagen biostimulators matter
Collagen gives the face its firmness, and we lose around 1% of it a year from our twenties. As a collagen biostimulator, Radiesse prompts your skin to make more of its own, so you are strengthening the skin itself as well as supporting it. That is what makes the result gradual and natural, and our guide to collagen stimulators explains how the options compare.
Radiesse is used for support rather than in the lips, and because it is not hyaluronic acid it cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase, so your doctor is precise about placement and amount. Treatment is usually deferred during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and your consultation confirms whether it is right for you.
Bruising, swelling, redness, tenderness and small lumps can occur and settle, and rarely nodules or inflammation can develop. As with any facial injectable, rare vascular complications are possible, and our doctors work to emergency protocols.
If hydration is the bigger issue, your doctor may add a skin booster, and if you want shape at one point, dermal fillers may suit you better. Thinking about the area below the jaw as well? Read what to know about Radiesse and the neck.
Pricing
Radiesse is planned around the areas you want to treat, so there is one published price: Radiesse with a skin booster for hydration and skin quality. For anything else, your doctor confirms your plan and price at consultation.
Price includes VAT. Consultation + review included at every clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Because its calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres stimulate your own collagen and elastin after treatment. The clinical term is biostimulator. Collagen booster is simply the phrase many people use.
Merz's UK page lists the cheeks and nasolabial folds for Radiesse, and the cheeks, nasolabial folds, marionette lines and jawline for Radiesse+. It is not a lip treatment.
Radiesse+ contains lidocaine, a local anaesthetic, and Merz lists it for marionette lines and the jawline as well as the cheeks and nasolabial folds. Your doctor explains which is planned for you.
An initial change may be visible on the day. The collagen-related improvement is slower, usually visible from around three months and continuing through six months and beyond.
It varies with the area, the amount used and how your skin responds. Dr Yasmin describes an improvement that can last well over a year before a top-up is considered.
Not better, different. Filler adds shape exactly where it is placed and can be dissolved. Radiesse adds some support and stimulates collagen, and it cannot be dissolved. Your doctor will explain which fits your jawline.
Radiesse with a skin booster is £1,100 including VAT. Your doctor confirms your plan and price at consultation, and your review is included.
Often, yes. It is frequently paired with a skin booster, and your doctor may suggest other treatments as part of a wider plan.
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