Aging is kind of like a winter in the U.P. — ongoing and unrelenting. For some dumb reason, every passing year after you reach the age of 20, your collagen production drops by one percent. It’s no wonder your skin is saggy and loose at age 50 — your collagen production is now only 70% of what it was at 20! Some wrinkles are more noxious than others. This definitely can be said of smile and marionette lines. But at Elite we help you take the fight to those wrinkles with Radiesse volumizing filler.
If you’re at all familiar with the aesthetic world, you’ve probably heard of Juvederm and Perlane, Restylane and Botox. But you may not know about Radiesse. Radiesse is a long-lasting popular option at Elite for our patients with smile and marionette lines, and other problems resulting from volume loss.
How does Radiesse get its groove on?
Naturally derived fillers such as Juvederm and Perlane are hyaluronic acid fillers (where hyaluronic acid binds with water molecules to plump and hydrate the skin); Radiesse is different. It is known as a synthetic filler, and is comprised of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in an aqueous gel carrier.
Radiesse is different than hyaluronic acid fillers because it works two ways, with both immediate and long-term results. First the aqueous gel instantly fills the area when injected beneath a crease or wrinkle. That’s the way most fillers work, but that’s only the first part of Radiesse’s function. From there, the hydroxylapatite microspheres stimulate the body to produce new collagen in the injection area. This occurs in the weeks following your injection and the results last for up to 18 months. So, while most fillers lose their function once the body absorbs them, Radiesse, because it initiates the building of new collagen, continues to show its effects even after the microspheres and gel are absorbed.
Where is Radiesse most effective?
Like the headphones blasting into a teenager’s ears, this is all about volume. As we lose collagen our skin loses its support. This leads to sagging and wrinkles. Radiesse is a volumizing filler, meaning it is effective for replacing that volume and for deeper wrinkles such as those around the mouth.
This is where we use Radiesse at Elite:
Smile lines — Also known as nasolabial folds, these lines run from the nose down to the corners of the mouth. They are the result of decreasing facial volume and skin elasticity that comes with aging. These creases can be some of the deepest on the entire human body.
Marionette lines — While these lines are great for ventriloquist dummies, they have no business on your face. These lines run straight downward from the corners of the mouth and can make you look unhappy. These also result from decreasing volume.
Corners of the mouth — The corners of your mouth can turn downward as you age and lose volume below the mouth. This phenomenon can make you look as if you’re frowning or mad.
Chin wrinkles — Chin wrinkles form horizontally across the chin and can be distracting to a person talking to you. Volume loss in the lower face again is the culprit.
Pre-jowl area — The areas on each side of the chin, the pre-jowl sulcus, can hollow out due to sagging in other areas of the lower face.
Not making a smiley face when you think about your smile lines? Call us at Elite, 616-459-1907, and let’s pump up the volume with Radiesse!
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