Use of calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse(®)) for facial augmentation

Radiesse(®) (Bioform Inc, USA) is a sterile, latex-free, non-pyrogenic, semi-solid, cohesive subdermal, injectable implant, whose principal component is synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite, a biocompatible material with over 20 years of use in medicine. The semi-solid nature of the product is created by suspending calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres of 25–45 microns diameter in a gel carrier of carboxymethylcellulose. The product has FDA approval for esthetic facial augmentation in the US. Such approval includes the long-lasting correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds and the treatment of facial fat loss due to immunodeficiency virus infection. Diverse facial regions can be injected in order to ameliorate or enhance some features: glabellar lines, subdermal support of the brows, malar and buccal fat pads, tear troughs, nasolabial folds, nose, lips, perioral region, marionette lines, oral commisures and chin among others, as well as saucerized acne scars. Other medical indications include nipple projection for nipple areolar reconstruction, urinary incontinence, vesicoureteral reflux, vocal cord augmentation, and use as a radiographic tissue marker. The average lasting result is from 12 to 18 months. Radiesse can be considered an effective soft-tissue filler for overall longevity, biocompatibility, and low rate of side effects.