Radiesse®

Radiesse® in Seoul at Le.J Plastic Surgery

Medically reviewed by Dr. Kim Ji Sun, M.D., M.S., Ph.D., Board-Certified Otolaryngologist · Le.J Plastic Surgery, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Radiesse® is an injectable volume treatment containing calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gel carrier, used to restore age-related volume loss and to support skin firmness in selected facial contours. It works in two stages rather than one: the gel carrier supplies volume immediately, and the CaHA component stimulates collagen production over the weeks that follow. At Le.J Plastic Surgery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul it sits within the clinic's Anti-Aging & Regenerative range, and it is performed personally by Dr. Kim Ji Sun, the clinic's founder and Medical Director and the listed performing doctor for the parent Anti-Aging & Regenerative specialty.

What Is Radiesse®?

Radiesse® is an injectable the clinic describes as a volume booster: a collagen-stimulating material placed into selected tissue planes to restore volume and support skin elasticity.

• The active component is calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres, suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gel carrier.

• The CMC gel provides the initial volume that is visible soon after treatment.

• The CaHA microspheres stimulate collagen production, which develops gradually over subsequent weeks and months.

• The clinic also identifies the product as a volume-restoration medical device.

• Treatment commonly takes approximately 15–45 minutes, depending on the areas treated and consultation needs.

The two-stage mechanism is the part most worth understanding before booking, because it determines what the first week looks like compared with the third month. What a patient sees on the day of treatment is largely the gel; what remains after the gel resorbs depends on the collagen response, which is individual and cannot be promised in advance. A patient judging the result at two weeks is reading the wrong chapter — and one judging it at two weeks and asking for more product is the reason the assessment interval matters clinically rather than just administratively.

This also separates the treatment from a simple volumiser. A hyaluronic acid filler is placed, measured, and judged on placement. A collagen-stimulating injectable is placed and then waited on. Both arrive by needle at a similar-looking appointment, which is precisely why the consultation has to establish which one the stated concern actually calls for.

The clinic's own statement of what the treatment can be said to do is deliberately bounded: Radiesse® can be described as an injectable containing calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres in a gel carrier that provides initial volume and stimulates collagen production; it may help restore volume and improve the appearance of selected facial contours, skin firmness, and wrinkles; results vary by treatment area and individual response; and treatment does not guarantee permanent results or eliminate all signs of aging. The clinic has not published technique details specific to its own protocol, and this page does not supply any in their place.

Who Performs Radiesse® at Le.J Plastic Surgery

Dr. Kim Ji Sun, M.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Board-certified Otorhinolaryngologist

Radiesse® is performed personally by Dr. Kim Ji Sun, the clinic's founder and Medical Director and the listed performing doctor for the parent Anti-Aging & Regenerative specialty.

Dr. Kim is a board-certified otolaryngologist who earned an M.D., a Master's degree and a Ph.D. from Dankook University College of Medicine, completed internship and residency at Dankook University Hospital, trained as a Clinical Fellow in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Asan Medical Center, and has served as a Guest Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in the United States.

Dr. Kim's most recent relevant academic activity is a 2026 lecture on non-surgical facial rejuvenation and closed rhinoplasty at the 12th meeting of the Korean Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, where Dr. Kim is a regular member and serves on the academic, public-relations and international committees.

Le.J Plastic Surgery is a single-doctor clinic, so the surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who treats you. For filler treatment the relevant professional standard is a general one rather than a clinic claim: the American Academy of Dermatology states that injecting a filler is a medical procedure and that the results you see depend largely on the experience of the person performing it, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends seeking a licensed health care provider with experience in the fields of dermatology or plastic surgery, and selecting one who is trained to perform the dermal filler injection procedure. Both are statements about the category, and both are reasonable things to hold any clinic to, in any country.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Radiesse®?

Suitable candidates:

• Adults seeking volume restoration or improvement in selected facial contours, who are medically suitable and understand the expected benefits and limitations.

• Patients whose concern is age-related volume loss, reduced skin firmness, facial contour, or selected wrinkles.

• Patients comfortable with a result that arrives in two stages — an immediate volume change, then a gradual one.

Who should avoid or postpone:

• People with known hypersensitivity to the product's ingredients.

• Patients with active infection or inflammation at the planned injection site.

• Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding, who have bleeding risks, or who have had previous filler treatments — all require discussion with the treating clinician before anything is scheduled.

• Patients with other relevant medical conditions identified at consultation.

Suitability depends on the treatment area and the product formulation as much as on the patient, which is why the answer is area-specific rather than a general yes or no. At consultation the clinician assesses facial anatomy, skin quality, volume loss, treatment goals, medical history, allergies, medications, previous fillers, and potential contraindications before determining whether this treatment is appropriate at all.

Patients enquiring from the United States often arrive having already decided on a product name rather than on a concern, and the useful order is the reverse. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that before undergoing any cosmetic procedure consumers ask what the risks for the procedure are, and ask the doctor how many times they have performed the exact procedure. Working through those two questions tends to surface the concern behind the product name within the first few answers.

What to Expect: Procedure, Recovery, and Results Timeline

At consultation the clinician reviews anatomy, skin quality, volume loss, goals, medical history, allergies, medications and previous fillers, and determines whether treatment is appropriate.

On the day, the treatment area is assessed and marked, the skin is cleaned, and an appropriate anesthetic may be applied. The product is injected into selected tissue planes using a suitable technique, the area is checked, and aftercare instructions are given.

Stage	What the clinic states
Session length	Approximately 15–45 minutes, depending on areas treated and consultation needs
Anaesthesia	Topical or local anesthetic may be used; some formulations contain lidocaine
During treatment	Brief stinging, pinching or pressure is common
Immediate effects	Swelling, redness, tenderness or bruising, lasting several days and occasionally longer
Return to activity	Many patients resume normal activities soon after treatment
When results appear	Initial volume may be visible immediately; collagen-related change develops over weeks to months
Course	Number of sessions and follow-up visits depend on the individual treatment plan

Aftercare follows the injector's instructions. Avoid unnecessary pressure on or manipulation of the treated area, and postpone strenuous exercise or excessive heat if advised. Urgent medical care is needed for severe or increasing pain, skin discoloration, or any visual symptoms after injection — that instruction is not a formality, and the reason is set out in the safety section below.

For an international patient the logistics are straightforward. A short stay is generally sufficient for an outpatient treatment, with time allowed for consultation and any recommended follow-up. Patients can generally travel once they feel comfortable and any immediate swelling or discomfort is manageable, and the timing should be confirmed with the treating clinician, especially after treatment in higher-risk facial areas. The longevity of the result varies by treatment area, formulation, dose and individual response, so a patient planning a repeat visit is better served by booking the assessment than by booking the repeat. If something feels wrong after returning home, patients can reach the clinic's English-speaking counselling manager by phone or email.

Combining Radiesse® with Other Treatments

• Other skin-quality injectables in the same range — the clinic offers further injectable options aimed at skin texture and quality, each working through a different material.

• Hyaluronic acid injectables — where the concern is targeted volume correction rather than collagen stimulation, a different material answers it.

• Selected skin-rejuvenation procedures — device-based and resurfacing options are also available at the clinic.

The clinic publishes no per-procedure pages for several of these, so they are listed without links rather than linked to pages that do not exist.

Any combination should be determined by a qualified clinician on the basis of facial anatomy, product compatibility and safety — the order and spacing matter, not merely the shortlist. The alternatives the clinic names, depending on whether the main concern is volume loss, skin laxity or wrinkles, include hyaluronic acid fillers, other collagen-stimulating injectables, skin-quality treatments, or surgical options. Those are listed as alternatives rather than ranked, because which one applies is a question about the concern and not about the catalogue.

Safety, Precision, and Clinic Standards

Le.J Plastic Surgery is a Registered Medical Institution for Attracting Foreign Patients, certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in compliance with the Medical Overseas Expansion and Foreign Patients Attraction Act. This is a registration for treating international patients; it is not an accreditation of any treatment in this category.

The clinic has not published a risk-reduction protocol specific to this procedure, so none is described here in its place.

The common effects are temporary: swelling, bruising, redness, tenderness, itching and small lumps near injection sites. The less common ones are the reason the category has published warnings at all — infection, persistent nodules, asymmetry, prolonged inflammation, and accidental injection into a blood vessel, which can cause tissue damage or, rarely, vision complications. The FDA's patient guidance on that last point is specific enough to act on: it advises patients to seek immediate medical attention for unusual pain, vision changes, or a white, grey or blue appearance of the skin near the injection site. The same guidance notes that side effects in this category can appear late as well as early, and that lumps or nodules may form weeks, months or years after injection.

The FDA also advises patients not to purchase dermal filler products online, because they could be counterfeit products or products that are not approved for use in the U.S. That is category guidance, and it is the practical reason a patient travelling for treatment should be able to see what is being used and ask about it.

Le.J Plastic Surgery publishes neither case volumes nor complication rates for this procedure, and this page claims neither. That is a fair question at consultation, as is the one worth asking any surgeon in this category: how many of these operations they have performed, how many involved complications, and what follow-up to expect if something goes wrong.

The Bottom Line

• Radiesse® delivers calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres in a gel carrier, injected into selected tissue planes.

• The gel gives volume immediately; the CaHA component stimulates collagen over subsequent weeks and months.

• Treatment commonly takes approximately 15–45 minutes, and the number of sessions depends on the plan.

• Longevity varies by treatment area, formulation, dose and individual response, and permanence is not claimed.

• Swelling, bruising and small lumps are common; vascular occlusion is the rare complication the published warnings are written for.

• The clinic publishes no protocol details, no outcome figures and no price for this service, and none are supplied here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in the syringe? Calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose gel. Both parts do work: the gel supplies volume straight away, and the microspheres stimulate collagen production afterwards. Known hypersensitivity to the ingredients is a stated reason the treatment may be unsuitable, which is why the allergy and medical-history review is not a formality.

Will I see a difference straight away? Partly, and this is the most common point of confusion. Initial volume improvement may be visible immediately because the product contains a gel carrier. Further improvement in skin quality develops gradually as collagen production occurs, over the following weeks to months, and the timeline varies by treatment area and individual response.

How long does the treatment take, and how many sessions will I need? Treatment commonly takes approximately 15–45 minutes, depending on the areas treated and consultation needs. The number of sessions and any follow-up visits depend on the individual treatment plan rather than on a fixed protocol, so it is a question to settle at consultation before booking travel.

Does it hurt, and what numbing is used? A topical or local anesthetic may be used to reduce discomfort, and some formulations contain lidocaine. Patients may experience brief stinging, pinching or pressure during the injections, with mild tenderness or discomfort afterwards.

How many days in Korea does this need, and when is it safe to fly? A short stay is generally sufficient for an outpatient treatment, but allow time for consultation and any recommended follow-up. You can generally travel once you feel comfortable and any immediate swelling or discomfort is manageable — confirm the timing with the treating clinician, especially after treatment in higher-risk facial areas.

Who should not have this treatment? Patients with known hypersensitivity to the product ingredients, or with active infection or inflammation at the planned injection site. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, bleeding risks, previous filler treatments and certain relevant medical conditions all require discussion with the treating clinician beforehand.

How do I prepare, and what should I avoid beforehand? Disclose all medications, allergies, medical conditions, bleeding problems and previous filler treatments. Ask the clinician whether any medication or skincare adjustments are needed, and do not stop prescribed medication without medical advice. Treatment should not be carried out over active skin infections or inflammation.

What should make me seek help urgently after treatment? Severe or increasing pain, skin discoloration, or any visual symptoms. Those are the signs associated with material entering a blood vessel, and they are the reason the published guidance tells patients to seek immediate medical attention rather than wait for a scheduled follow-up.

Book a Consultation at Le.J Plastic Surgery

Radiesse® is offered at Le.J Plastic Surgery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul by Dr. Kim Ji Sun, within the clinic's Anti-Aging & Regenerative range. Because the result arrives in two stages and its longevity depends on the area treated, the consultation is where the assessment interval as well as the treatment is decided. Consultations run Monday to Friday, 10:00–19:00 KST, and Saturday from 10:00 KST. International enquiries are handled by the clinic's counseling manager, Park Somi, and English-language support is available. You can use the clinic's contact page, by phone on +82-2-516-7153, or by email at info@lejplasticsurgery.com.

Disclaimer

This page is for general information only and is not medical advice. Individual results vary and cannot be guaranteed. Suitability for any procedure can only be determined through an in-person medical consultation with a qualified doctor.

Sources & Further Reading

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers)

• American Academy of Dermatology — Fillers: FAQs

• American Academy of Dermatology — Best questions to ask when considering a cosmetic treatment