The Role of Calcium Hydroxylapatite (Radiesse) as a Regenerative Aesthetic Treatment: A Narrative Review.

For decades, a wide variety of natural and synthetic materials have been used to augment human tissue to improve aesthetic outcomes. Dermal fillers are some of the most widely used aesthetic treatments throughout the body. Initially, the primary function of dermal fillers was to restore depleted volume. As biomaterial research has advanced, however, a variety of biostimulatory fillers have become staples in aesthetic medicine. Such fillers often contain a carrying vehicle and a biostimulatory material that induces de novo synthesis of major structural components of the extracellular matrix. One such filler, Radiesse (Merz Aesthetics, Raleigh, NC), is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose gel. In addition to immediate volumization, Radiesse treatment results in increases of collagen, elastin, vasculature, proteoglycans, and fibroblast populations via a cell-biomaterial-mediated interaction. When injected, Radiesse acts as a cell scaffold and clinically manifests as immediate restoration of depleted volume, improvements in skin quality and appearance, and regeneration of endogenous extracellular matrices. This narrative review contextualizes Radiesse as a regenerative aesthetic treatment, summarizes its unique use cases, reviews its rheological, material, and regenerative properties, and hypothesizes future combination treatments in the age of regenerative aesthetics.

The efficacy of topical silicone gel elastomers in the treatment of hypertrophic scars, keloid scars, and post-laser exfoliation erythema.

BACKGROUND: Dermatix is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-registered substantial equivalent to silicone gel sheeting for the prevention and management of hypertrophic scars and keloids. METHODS: A 90-day prospective study evaluated the efficacy of Dermatix, silicone gel sheeting, and a combination of these treatments in improving scars for 30 patients. Each patient had a bilateral scar that served as an untreated control. The outcome measures included profilometry analysis of scar topography before and after punch biopsies of the control and treated scars, symptoms associated with the scars, and patient evaluations of the ease of treatment. RESULTS: The results showed better resolution and improvement of scars with Dermatix treatment or the combined use of Dermatix and silicone gel sheeting than with silicone gel sheeting alone. Wound erythema was reduced, and collagen architectural reorientation was demonstrated histologically. Patients rated Dermatix as easier to use than silicone gel sheeting. Both Dermatix and silicone gel sheeting reduced symptoms of itching, irritation, and skin maceration. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that Dermatix is a useful treatment for the management of abnormal scarring.