Treatment Overview
What Is Radiesse®?
Radiesse® is a dermal filler made of synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a smooth, water-based gel carrier. CaHA is a mineral also found naturally in teeth and bone; the product itself is manufactured as a sterile injectable implant. It provides immediate lift and contour at the time of injection, while the CaHA matrix supports collagen and elastin production that can contribute to longer-term structural support.
Radiesse can soften deeper facial wrinkles and folds, including smile lines, and restore lost volume to the backs of the hands. Radiesse® (+) contains 0.3% lidocaine and can also improve moderate to severe jawline contour loss in adults over 21. We assess your anatomy and choose the formulation, placement, and amount that suit your treatment plan.
Radiesse differs from a hyaluronic acid filler. It is often considered when firmer structural support and contour are desired, while a softer, more mobile and reversible hyaluronic acid filler may be preferred for other goals. Because Radiesse is not dissolved with hyaluronidase, careful assessment and precise placement are especially important. We can compare Radiesse with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers and build a plan around your anatomy rather than choosing a product by name alone.
If your goals go beyond volume and contour, we may also discuss Botox, microneedling, or PRF/PRP therapy. Research on some combinations is limited, so we plan the timing and treatment areas around your needs rather than assuming every treatment should be done together.
Concerns
Areas Treated with
Radiesse®
Radiesse is used where structural support, contour, or restoration of age-related volume loss is the goal.
Your Experience
What to Expect
A comfortable, anatomy-led appointment with immediate contour support and changes that continue to develop over time.
Consultation & Mapping
Your appointment starts with a consultation to assess facial structure or hand volume, skin quality, previous injectable history, medications, allergies, and your goals. Your provider maps the proposed treatment area and explains where Radiesse may provide balanced, natural-looking support.
Cleanse & Comfort Measures
The treatment area is cleansed and prepared using aseptic technique. Topical or local anesthetic may be considered based on the treatment plan. Radiesse (+) contains 0.3% lidocaine to improve comfort during injection and is not appropriate for patients with a known hypersensitivity to lidocaine or other amide-type anesthetics.
Precise Injection
Radiesse is placed slowly and deliberately by a trained medical professional using a needle or cannula selected for the treatment area and formulation. Depth, amount, and technique are tailored to your anatomy, with careful attention to symmetry, contour, surrounding structures, and natural movement.
Review, Aftercare & Follow-Up
Your provider reviews the initial result and gives you personalized aftercare. Avoid strenuous exercise, extensive sun or heat, and pressure on the treated area for about 24 hours or until initial redness and swelling have resolved. Contact us promptly for unusual pain, whitening or colour change of the skin, changes in vision, or any urgent concern after treatment.
Longevity
Results & How Long They Last
Visible volume and contour at treatment, followed by gradual collagen and elastin support over time.
Radiesse provides visible volume and contour immediately, although early swelling can affect what you see. Its CaHA matrix also supports new collagen and elastin formation, so structural and skin-quality changes may continue to develop over the following weeks. Results often last 12 to 18 months in facial studies, while Merz Canada reports that some individuals remain defined and supported for up to two years. Hand results have been reported to last up to a year in most patients. These ranges are not a guarantee.
The amount of change, longevity, and number of treatments vary with the area, formulation, placement, amount of product, tissue characteristics, and individual biology. We avoid overfilling because the contour may continue to improve over the following weeks. Early bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, itching, or discomfort can occur, so some patients prefer to allow time before an important event.
A multicentre randomized study of 205 patients treated for nasolabial folds found higher patient satisfaction and more Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale improvement at eight months with CaHA than with the tested hyaluronic acid comparators; it also used less CaHA volume through the four-month touch-up period. Read the 2007 randomized trial. In a separate extension study of 102 patients, 40% of evaluated folds were still rated improved or better at least 30 months after the last Radiesse treatment. That longer-lasting improvement was seen in some patients, not everyone, and does not predict an individual result. Read the long-term follow-up study.
A randomized, blinded study of 114 people with volume loss on the backs of the hands found that 75% of treated participants achieved at least a one-point improvement on the validated Merz Hand Grading Scale at three months, with improvement generally maintained through 12 months. Reported adverse events were generally expected, minor, short-lived, and injection-related. Read the 12-month hand-rejuvenation trial.
Evidence & Further Reading
Radiesse treatment and safety guide: Merz Aesthetics Canada, Radiesse Instructions for Use. Read the separate guides for Radiesse and Radiesse (+), including where each product is used, who should avoid treatment, possible side effects, and safety precautions.
Health Canada licence: Radiesse (+) Injectable Implant, active Class III medical-device licence.
Randomized facial-fold study: Moers-Carpi M, et al. A multicenter, randomized trial comparing calcium hydroxylapatite to two hyaluronic acids for treatment of nasolabial folds. Dermatologic Surgery. 2007.
Long-term facial-fold follow-up: Bass LS, et al. Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse) for treatment of nasolabial folds: long-term safety and efficacy results. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2010.
Randomized hand-rejuvenation study: Goldman MP, et al. Calcium hydroxylapatite dermal filler for treatment of dorsal hand volume loss: results from a 12-month, multicenter, randomized, blinded trial. Dermatologic Surgery. 2018.
Evidence on skin-regeneration mechanisms: Amirthalingam J, et al. Skin regeneration-related mechanisms of calcium hydroxylapatite: a systematic review. Frontiers in Medicine. 2023. The review found encouraging signals but emphasized methodological limitations.
Evidence-quality update: Ferreira ACM, et al. Efficacy, durability, and safety of collagen biostimulators based on PLLA and CaHA in the face: a systematic review. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2026. It reported CaHA effects lasting 12–18 months across included facial studies, while calling for standardized techniques and longer-term safety research.
*Planning estimate only; actual treatment time and recovery vary. †A research summary, not a result guarantee. Individual outcomes vary.
Results
Before & After
Patient photography will be added only when consented Radiesse® cases are available. Individual outcomes vary.
FAQ
Radiesse® Questions Answered
Ready to Define Your Contour?
Location
1843 Cornerstone Blvd. NE
Calgary, AB T3N 2L4
Phone
+1 (587)-707-3377Hours
By appointment, online booking available 24/7