The non-surgical option that doesn't ask you to wait six months. Immediate volume from the product, collagen built over the following months — and honest limits about how much change is actually possible.
Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite, diluted and injected into the gluteal and hip region. It works twice — immediate volume from the product, then collagen built over three to six months. Lasts one to two years. Best for shape refinement and hip dip softening rather than substantial size increase. It is not reversible, which matters more here than on the face.
The most useful thing on this page, and the thing that determines whether you'll be happy.
Surgical fat transfer moves hundreds of millilitres of your own tissue. Injectable treatment adds a fraction of that — a large session might place twenty syringes, which is a fraction of what surgery moves.
Shape refinement. Softening hip dips. Improving skin quality and texture. Subtle projection. No surgery, no anaesthetic, no recovery.
Substantially increase size. If the goal is a visibly larger silhouette rather than a smoother one, surgery is the honest answer.
Patients who arrive wanting refinement are consistently happy. Patients who arrive wanting the surgical result without the surgery are not — and it's better to know that before spending several thousand dollars finding out.
Both are used for body contouring here, and the choice comes down to timeline.
Radiesse if you want to see something now. The immediate volume means you leave the appointment with visible change, and it builds from there.
Sculptra if you'd rather it appear gradually. Nothing much happens for weeks, then volume develops as your own collagen builds. Some patients prefer that precisely because nobody notices a change happening.
Frequently both. Radiesse for immediate structure, Sculptra layered for gradual collagen. Full comparison.
Hyaluronic acid fillers dissolve with hyaluronidase. Calcium hydroxylapatite and poly-L-lactic acid do not. There is no enzyme that removes them.
On the face that's a consideration. On the body — where volumes are far larger and the product is spread across a wide area — it's a reason to treat conservatively and build across sessions rather than placing everything at once.
Any practice offering to do the whole thing in one large session isn't doing you a favour. It's easier to add than to wait out something you regret.
Worth being clear, because expectations here are frequently unrealistic.
Hip dips are the inward curve where the hip bone meets the upper thigh. They're determined largely by skeletal structure — the width and shape of your pelvis, and where the greater trochanter sits relative to the iliac crest.
Adding volume into the depression makes it less visible. It does not change the bone underneath. Softening is realistic; elimination usually isn't.
They're also entirely normal anatomy rather than a defect. Treating them is a preference, and that's a fine reason — but it's worth naming.
Body contouring with injectables is expensive relative to the change produced, and it's worth understanding why.
Facial work uses one to three syringes. Body work commonly uses eight to twenty, because the area is vastly larger. The per-syringe price is the same; the quantity isn't.
For some patients the maths favours surgery. For others — those wanting refinement rather than size, or unwilling to accept surgical recovery — injectables are the right choice at any price. Both are legitimate, and the comparison is worth making openly rather than after you've committed.
Cherry and CareCredit financing is available and can be arranged before your appointment.
Dr. Mortazavi personally, as with everything here. That matters on body treatment for two reasons.
Symmetry is the whole result. Two sides treated slightly differently is more visible on a body than on a face, and it isn't correctable by dissolving.
Volume judgment is irreversible. With no enzyme to undo it, the decision about how much to place at once is the treatment. Conservative sessions with the option to add beat one large session you can't take back.
More on what physician-performed actually means: who's allowed to treat you at a California medical spa.
The conversation I have most on body work is about scale. Someone shows me a photo of a surgical result and asks whether injectables can do it. They can't, and saying so costs me the booking — but it saves the patient several thousand dollars and a disappointment that can't be dissolved. For refinement, shape, and hip dips, this treatment is genuinely good. That's the patient it's for.
What is a Radiesse BBL?
Diluted calcium hydroxylapatite injected into the gluteal and hip region. It provides immediate volume from the product itself, then stimulates collagen production over the following months. It is not a surgical procedure and involves no fat transfer, implants, or general anaesthetic — but it also produces considerably less volume change than surgery.
How is Radiesse BBL different from Sculptra BBL?
Radiesse produces immediate visible volume on the day of treatment, then adds collagen over three to six months. Sculptra produces almost nothing immediately and builds entirely through collagen over several months, requiring more sessions. Radiesse suits patients who want to see something now; Sculptra suits those willing to wait for a more gradual result. They are frequently combined.
Is a Radiesse BBL the same as a surgical BBL?
No, and the volume difference is substantial. A surgical Brazilian Butt Lift transfers hundreds of millilitres of the patient's own fat. Injectable treatments add a fraction of that. Radiesse BBL is appropriate for modest enhancement, shape refinement, and hip dip softening — not for a significant increase in size. Patients wanting substantial volume are better served by surgery, and are told so.
Can Radiesse fix hip dips?
It can soften them. Hip dips are the lateral indentation where the hip bone meets the thigh, and they are determined largely by skeletal structure — the position and shape of the pelvis. Injecting volume into the depression reduces how visible it is, but the underlying bony anatomy does not change. Complete elimination is not a realistic goal for most patients.
How long does Radiesse BBL last?
Typically one to two years. The calcium hydroxylapatite particles are gradually metabolised while the collagen they stimulated persists somewhat longer. Duration varies with metabolism, activity level, and how much was placed.
Can Radiesse be dissolved if I don't like the result?
No. Calcium hydroxylapatite is not reversible with hyaluronidase, unlike hyaluronic acid fillers. Sculptra is likewise not reversible. This is an important consideration for body treatment and is disclosed before any treatment proceeds — it is a meaningful reason to treat conservatively and build across sessions rather than placing a large volume at once.
How many syringes are needed?
Body treatment requires substantially more product than facial work — commonly eight to twenty syringes depending on the area treated and the degree of change sought. This is why body contouring with injectables is expensive relative to surgery, and why realistic expectation setting matters before starting.
What is the recovery?
Swelling, tenderness, and occasional bruising for several days. Most patients return to normal activity immediately but should avoid heavy glute training for around 72 hours and prolonged direct pressure on the treated area for the first day or two. There is no incision and no downtime in the surgical sense.
Is Radiesse BBL safe for all skin tones?
Yes. Radiesse is injected beneath the skin rather than delivering energy through it, so it carries no pigmentation risk and is appropriate across all Fitzpatrick skin types.
If that's what you're after, this treatment does it well. If you want the surgical result, Dr. Mortazavi will say so at consultation rather than after.
4667 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 310 — Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 568-7544 — info@plumpmedicalspa.com
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm — By Appointment Only