Comparing Dermal Fillers: Radiesse vs. Juvéderm

Dermal fillers have gained a huge lot of popularity amongst celebrities and even normal population. Radiesse and Juvederm are two of the more common dermal fillers that are in use today. Both these dermal fillers are popularly used as injections as an alternative to plastic surgery. In this article, we compare both these highly popular dermal fillers.

As we age, our facial skin starts to stretch bit by bit, further adding to the loss of facial volume and loss of subcutaneous fat. Along with this, the facial muscles also start working closer to the surface of the skin, making crow’s feet and fine lines more apparent. Over a period of time, environmental factors and our lifestyle also affects our facial skin.

Dermal fillers are used to reduce the appearance of facial lines and for restoring fullness and volume to the face and lips. Radiesse and Juvederm are commonly used, hence the need to compare both.

Dermal fillers can help in many ways to add volume to the facial skin. They are used effectively for the following:

• Enhance the shallow contours of the face
• Help plump out thin lips
• Help soften wrinkles, lines, and facial creases
• Improve the appearances of scars, including recessed scars
• Help in removing or reducing the shadow of the lower eyelids or dark circles under the eyes
• Help reconstruct any contour deformities on the face

Overall, dermal fillers are extremely helpful in reducing the signs of aging, which has made their use popular. However, as both these types of dermal fillers are useful, a detail understanding of Radiesse vs Juvederm helps to take appropriate decision.

Radiesse and Juvederm are two of the more popularly used dermal fillers. Both of these work effectively to add the desired fullness to your face and even hands. People who want to avoid plastic surgery, often tend to choose Radiesse and Juvederm types of dermal fillers.

Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both these dermal fillers are used in the form of non-surgical and outpatient procedures. However, make sure that the procedures involving both these dermal fillers are performed by a licensed and experienced medical professional or skin care specialist only. The cost of a procedure using Radiesse or Juvederm comes to around $600 to $800. The cost increases according to the amount of work done.

When comparing dermal fillers – Radiesse vs Juvederm, we try to understand the basic purpose of using them.

• Radiesse injection is used for correcting wrinkles and also helps to smoothen out the lines or folds in the hands and on the face. Similar to Juvederm, Radiesse can also be used on body parts such as cheeks, lips, lip lines, and also helps in smoothening out the laugh lines around your mouth. Radiesse is also popular as it can be used on chin wrinkles, the back of the hands, and on the pre-jowl fold.
• Juvederm is known to smoothen out the ‘parentheses’ lines that run from the corner of your mouth to the corner of your nose. Juvederm also increases the fullness of your cheeks, plump up the lips, and also smoothen any vertical lip lines.

When discussing about Radiesse vs Juvederm, it is necessary to consider their safety, efficacy and understand their differences based on composition, ingredients and procedure duration. Both Radiesse and Juvederm are known to be relatively safe, though both procedures are known to cause some temporary and mild side effects such as bruising and swelling around the affected areas. In some cases, though, there might be some serious side effects such as stroke, blindness, and infection.

Anyone who is using Radiesse and Juvederm injections needs to be aware that each individual’s skin is different and while some people begin to experience results immediately, in others it takes time. Similarly, while most people only experience mild side effects such as tenderness, bruising, and itching at the affected area, others may experience more serious complications. While the effects and side effects of Radiesse vs Juvederm appear similar, the way in which a person reacts to the treatment differs.

Let us compare dermal fillers, Radiesse vs Juvederm based on composition.

• Radiesse – Radiesse is a brand of popular dermal filler that uses calcium-based microspheres. It is a base of calcium hydroxylapatite, a naturally-occurring mineral found in our bones and teeth. The calcium used in Radiesse is suspended in a gel-like and water-based solution. Once Radiesse is injected, it stimulates the growth of collagen and the gel and calcium start to get absorbed by the body over a period of time. It helps stimulate the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein in the body that is responsible for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and strength.
• Juvederm – Juvederm is a brand of popular dermal filler that is available in the form of an injectable gel. It has a hyaluronic acid base that adds volume at the injection point on your face. Juvederm makes the use of hyaluronic acid as its primary base. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring carbohydrate present in the body’s tissues. Dermal fillers like Juvederm generally contain hyaluronic acid from rooster combs or bacteria. Some types of hyaluronic acid are also chemically modified or cross-linked to make them last longer. Juvederm is also known to contain a small amount of lidocaine, which is an anesthetic. The addition of lidocaine makes the injection more comfortable to bear when injected and less painful as well.

It takes a relatively short period of time during a visit to your dermatologist or doctor to administer either of these dermal fillers. These are done as out-patient procedures and the patient can walk out almost immediately after the procedure.

Let us compare dermal fillers, Radiesse vs Juvederm based on procedure duration.

• Radiesse – The time taken for a Radiesse procedure depends on which part of the face or body is being treated. Typically, though, it takes around half an hour to finish a Radiesse procedure. This time also includes the time for applying a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine.
• Juvederm – The time it takes for getting a Juvederm dermal filler done depends on what part of the face is being treated. Nevertheless, a typical Juvederm procedure takes around 15 to 60 minutes.

Both Radiesse and Juvederm are known to show results immediately. When comparing Radiesse vs Juvederm based on results, the main difference is that complete results of Radiesse dermal fillers may take around a week to become clear. Here is a comparison of dermal fillers, Radiesse vs Juvederm based on results.

• Radiesse – A clinical study on Radiesse was done by the injection’s manufacturers, Merz Aesthetics. The survey done as part of the study found that 98% of the participants, who had treatment of both hands done by Radiesse, were satisfied with the results after a period of three months and said that they experienced an improvement in the skin of their hands. Out of this 98%, 32% found that the skin had improved significantly, 44% experienced a good amount of improvement, while 22% experienced a bit of improvement, and 2.5% experienced no change at all. The point to be noted, though, is that there were zero participants who felt that the treatment worsened the condition of their hands.
• Juvederm – A clinical study done by Allergan with 208 participants showed favorable results with Juvederm Ultra XC, particularly on lip enhancement. After 3 months of receiving the Juvederm injection, almost 80% of the participants claimed to have seen a 1-point improvement in the fullness of their lips. This was based on a 1-5 scale.

After a year’s time, participants reported that this improvement dropped to around 55%. The result experienced after a year was in line with Juvederm’s one-year lifetime.
In spite of having a one-year lifespan, nearly 75% of participants still reported that they were quite satisfied with the appearance of their lips after one year. They also reported that there was an improvement in the smoothness and softness of their lips.

While both of these dermal fillers are known to be safe for the majority of people, there can be some instances where your doctor will not recommend having dermal fillers done. Certain people are not considered to be good candidates for either Radiesse or Juvederm. The factors vary for each dermal filler.

Let us compare dermal fillers, Radiesse vs Juvederm based on their suitability.

• Those who have severe allergies that can result in anaphylaxis or have multiple severe allergies
• Have a bleeding disorder
• Are allergic to lidocaine or other similar medications
• People having an active skin inflammation

• Have multiple known severe allergies that can result in anaphylaxis
• Are under the age of 21 years
• Both the dermal fillers are not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

While both the dermal fillers are considered to be relatively safe, they may have some mild side effects.

Let us compare dermal fillers, Radiesse vs Juvederm based on their possible side effects.

• Radiesse – In some people receiving Radiesse injections on their face or hands, there can be some short-term side effects. These include swelling, redness, bruising, pain, itching, lumps and bumps, difficulty performing some activities with your hands. A less common side effect is a loss of sensation. There is a risk of infection attached to both the hands and face along with a risk of developing a hematoma.
• Juvederm – When Juvederm is used for lip augmentation, some of the common side effects may include itching, swelling, bruising, discoloration, lumps and bumps, tenderness, pain, firmness and redness. The side effects generally disappear within 20 days.

In the rare case when the syringe punctures a blood vessel, there is a risk of serious complications like

• Stroke
• Permanent scarring
• Temporary formation of scabs
• Blindness
• Vision problems

In some cases, there is a risk of infection as well.

Radiesse and Juvederm are both popularly used dermal fillers for cosmetic enhancements. They can be injected into both the hands and the face for reducing fine lines and for smoothing out the skin. The injections work to add the desired fullness. The specific differences after comparing Radiesse vs Juvederm can help in taking an informed decision with your medical expert. Both the options are approved by the FDA and have mild side effects along with very short recovery time.

While the effects of Radiesse tends to last longer than Juvederm, both injections provide only temporary results and may require touch-ups after a year or so.