What are the best injectables to use that will create your own natural collagen?
21/02/26
Sculptra, Lenisna and Juvelook
THE SIMILARITIES
- Injectable bio-stimulants that promote collagen.
- Give a holistic facial regeneration
- Have a high patient satisfaction rating
- Repeat sessions may be needed for the best outcomes
- Results often last 18-24 months
THE DIFFERENCES
SCULPTRA :
- Is made of PLLA and carboxymethylcellulose.
- Patients MUST massage for 5 minutes, 5 times a day for 5 days to prevent nodules.
- One product in the range. This dictates where the product can safely be injected.
- Overall, Sculptra has a low risk of nodule formation.
- If a nodule occurs – repeated sessions of saline injections may help break up the nodule.
- PLLA was licenced in the UK in 1999. It has lots of safety data and clinical studies.
- Recommended for use in: Temples, cheeks and jawline.
- Not recommended for use in lips, tear trough, forehead, around the mouth and chin.
LENISNA AND JUVELOOK
- Is made of PDLLA and hyaluronic acid.
- Massaging is not necessary but may be advised for a short time after.
- Two products in the range. Lenisna has larger molecules. Juvelook has smaller molecules. This dictates where the product can be safely injected.
- Due to its uniform structure, these products appear to have an even lower risk of nodules than the older PLLA products.
- If a nodule occurs – the application of heat from an energy-based device like radio frequency will flatten the nodule.
- PDLLA was licenced in South Korea in 2014. There have been 1.5 million vials sold worldwide since 2017 and has a high safety record.
- Either Lenisna or Juvelook can be used in: Temples, cheeks, jawline, forehead, around the eyes, tear trough, around the mouth and chin.
- Not recommended for use in lips.
What biostimulator do I prefer to use?
I have used Sculptra for over a decade and have enjoyed these results it has given my patients. Patients also really like the results they achieve with it, so I will continue to treat people with Sculptra if this is their preference.
However, knowing what I know about advances in research on ageing skin, the histology and physiology of what happens in the tissue as a result of a bio-stimulator being injected, I tend to recommend Lenisna and Juvelook as my biostimulators of choice. These products are particularly well suited to those who want to improve skin quality and elasticity, not just volume.
In particular, I think Juvelook has been the most exciting innovation of injectable for the eye area. We have dabbled with mesotherapy, polynucleotides, energy based devices around the eyes for decades, but the results, even from a single injection of Juvelook is astounding and beats all fore runners hands down.
Whilst I've not gone into detail about the new PLLA JULAINE, I have spent hours researching whether to bring this product or Lenisna and Juvelook into my clinic. Julaine had several restrictions for me. You can't use it safely around the eyes. It was formulated to reduce the frequency of nodule complications with Sculptra, however, if a nodule were to occur, treating this complication is not as simple as using an energy based device to flatten it (as is the case with PDLLA products). I have seen no compelling evidence, neither in vivo nor histologically that JULAINE gives better clinical results than Lenisna. I therefore made the decision to bring Lenisna and Juvelook to my clinic.
Who are the pateints who will do best with these products?
Interestingly, even those over 70 years of age appear to respond well to biostimulants. However, how long you will retain the aesthetic benefits from a course of biostimulating filler depends on your ability to create good collagen and how long you can retain that collagen. For example, studies have shown those who have a vegan and a low protein diet do not produce as good collagen compared to omnivores, in reponse to biostimulators. There are other factors at play that dictate your particular rate of ageing.
Who are the people who have a quick rate of ageing?
The following is a very simplified summary of what the evidence shows:
If you are post menopausal, you will deplete your natural collagen at twice the rate of pre- menopausal women due to natural oestrogen depletion.
If you enjoy a lot of sun, you are destroying your natural collagen quickly.
If you have a high sugar or alcohol consumption in your diet, the collagen you produce will be brittle and thus break down quickly.
If you enjoy vigorous sports like marathon running, your rate of facial ageing increases, although it is not entirely understood why this is the case. It couuld be because of sun exposure, or stress on the tissues.
If you are a smoker, much like a sugary diet, you are producing poor quality, brittle collagen that breaks down quickly.
It therefor makes sense, to improve your chances of a good aesthetic result that will last a longer time, adjust your lifestyle choices. You can not expect to have a gleaming well performing racecar, if you are putting slime into the fuel tank or not protecting the paint finish from destructive radiation from the sun.
I am interested to find out if these products are suitable for me, what do I do next?
If you want to know more about these biostimulating products and how I use them in my practice, please get in touch for an appointment. I will happily show you my patients results with their before and after photographs. It is in no ones interests to promise results that aren't realistic and that is why I show what can and can't be achieved.