Diluting Radiesse changes what it does. Rather than adding structure in one place, it spreads through a wider area to support firmness and skin quality.
Radiesse is a calcium hydroxylapatite biostimulator. Used at its standard concentration it provides immediate structural support alongside a collagen response, which is what makes it useful for restoring definition.
Hyperdilution changes the job it does. Mixed with saline and local anaesthetic at a much higher ratio, the same product becomes thin enough to spread through a broader area of tissue rather than sitting in one place as structure. What it then does is prompt collagen across that area, which may improve firmness, thickness and the general quality of the skin without changing the shape of the face.
It is the appropriate answer where the dominant change is thinning and crepiness across a region rather than a hollow in a particular spot. At Dr Ellie Sateei’s London and Sevenoaks clinics it is most often considered for the neck, décolletage, jawline and jowl area, the upper arms, the
The mechanism is the same as standard Radiesse. The dilution changes only the distribution.
Calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres, suspended in a gel carrier, act as a scaffold within the tissue. Fibroblasts respond by laying down new collagen around that scaffold over the following weeks and months. The carrier gel and eventually the microspheres are broken down and absorbed, and the collagen remains. What you are left with is your own tissue, which is the essential difference from a filler.
Diluting the product spreads that scaffold thinly over a wider area. The result is a diffuse improvement in skin quality and firmness rather than a defined change in contour. The dilution ratio used is a clinical decision, chosen according to the area, the thickness of the skin and how much structural effect is wanted alongside the skin quality effect. A more heavily diluted preparation does less to the shape and more to the surface.
Two practical points follow from the dilution. Treatment is usually delivered as a course rather than a single session, because collagen needs time to build between appointments. And massage of the area afterwards is part of the protocol for this product, to distribute it evenly, so you will be shown exactly how and for how long.
Calcium hydroxylapatite cannot be dissolved. It is not used in the tear trough or the lips, and it is not suitable for every area or every skin.
It may suit you if you are looking to:
It is not the right choice if you need a visible change within the next few weeks, because the meaningful improvement takes months. It is not the right choice where a specific hollow needs filling, where a filler is more precise and reversible. It is not the right choice for significant laxity, where no injectable does what the patient is hoping for and the honest answer is a surgical opinion.
As with any injectable, it is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Autoimmune conditions, a history of granulomatous reaction and any previous product in the area will be discussed, because this treatment cannot be reversed.
Numbing cream is applied and local anaesthetic is mixed into the dilution, so most patients describe the treatment as mildly uncomfortable rather than painful. A session takes around 30 to 45 minutes depending on the area, and a cannula may be used for the larger regions.
Expect redness, small raised bumps at injection points and the possibility of minor bruising, generally settling within a few days. Massage of the treated area afterwards is part of this protocol and will be demonstrated. Most patients return to normal activities the same day.
Treatment is usually planned as a course of two to three sessions a few weeks apart. A subtle change in the quality of the skin may be noticeable within the first fortnight, but that is not the result. The improvement that matters develops as collagen forms over three to six months, and duration is generally in the region of twelve to eighteen months. Results vary between individuals, and this treatment is judged at six months rather than at the appointment.
| Treatment | London | Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|
| Radiesse, collagen-stimulating treatment | From £690 | From £690 |
| Hyperdilute Radiesse protocol | TBC | TBC |
New patient consultation, £195 at both clinics. If you go ahead with treatment on the day of your appointment, this fee is deducted from the cost of your treatment. Prices correct as published and subject to change.
“Dilution is a technique, not a product, and that is the part patients rarely hear. The same vial can give you a defined jawline or better skin across your neck depending on how I mix it and where I put it. What it will not do is lift a face that has genuinely descended. When someone shows me a photograph of a result that is really a facelift, I tell them, because the alternative is taking their money for something that was never going to work.”
Dr Ellie Sateei has over two decades of experience in dermatology and aesthetics.
The product is the same. Diluting it more heavily spreads it through a wider area, so it works on skin quality and firmness rather than adding structure in one place.
No. It is a collagen biostimulator, and diluted it is not intended to add volume at all. The improvement comes from collagen your own skin produces.
Most often the neck, décolletage, jawline and jowl area, upper arms, backs of the hands and knees. It is not used in the tear trough or the lips.
A subtle change may appear within a fortnight, but the improvement that matters develops as collagen forms over three to six months.
No. Calcium hydroxylapatite is not reversible, unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, which is why the assessment beforehand matters so much.
It may improve firmness and skin quality. It does not lift a face that has descended, and where that is the concern Dr Sateei will say so rather than treat.
Hyperdilute Radiesse is often planned alongside these.
Hyperdilute Radiesse improves the firmness and quality of skin across an area, over months, using your own collagen, and it cannot be reversed. Whether it is the right tool depends on whether your concern is skin quality or genuine descent, and those are different problems with different answers. Dr Ellie Sateei sees patients at her London clinics.
Our London clinic is located at 91a New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6XF
We serve patients from London, Kent and the home counties as well as from all over the world. Our London clinic sits in the heart of Marylebone, within easy reach of the West End by tube, while our Sevenoaks clinic in Ightham is moments from the M25 and M26 for patients across Kent.
