Everything you ever wanted to know about facial fillers, the different types and why you might want to use them, is included in this review about the new Ellansé Collagen Stimulator, a facial ‘volumiser’ or filler that helps stimulate your body’s own collagen and can last for up to four years
I’ve never been one to shy away from trying anything and everything that can make me look years younger, with as little downtime as possible, which is why I’m a major convert to using facial fillers. The latest version is the Ellansé Collagen Stimulator, a facial ‘volumiser’ or filler that helps stimulate your body’s own collagen and can last for up to four years.
What is a facial or dermal filler?
Basically what we generally call ‘fillers’ are described by doctors as ‘injectable wrinkle fillers’ that have been created to fill in the various hollows, lines and wrinkles your face ends up with over time. There are a number of different types including Hyaluronic acid which is naturally in the human body but the medical version is created from bacteria in a lab; synthetic wrinkle fillers which have no connection to the human body; collagen wrinkle fillers which were originally extracted from cows (but didn’t last for very long) and the newer versions which are made in labs and last a lot longer; and autologous wrinkle fillers that are made from your own body fat (usually from your thighs, bottom or stomach) which is treated and then injected.
All of the various types of fillers can have side-effects, mostly tied to allergic reactions, redness and swelling, plus different types of fillers will last for different lengths of time and are used for different parts of your face. Fillers can also be used to somewhat change your face shape; harder forms can be used to create a higher nose bridge and sharper cheekbones (lots of Kpop stars do these procedures), or fill out your lips and if you’re really worried about signs of aging, to plump out your hands.
What is Ellansé Collagen Stimulator?
Previously I’ve tried and been quite happy with various Hyaluronic acid facial fillers, they definitely make a great impact right after they’ve been injected but they do disappear gradually over time and need to be ‘topped up’ to keep your refreshed new face. I recently had a chance to try the new Ellansé Collagen Stimulator in conjunction with the lunchtime facelift with Dr Siew Tuck Wah from Radium Medical Aesthetics.
According to reports, the Ellansé Collagen Stimulator is a new version of the traditional collagen filler that’s been designed to get your own body to produce more collagen naturally. It’s made up of 70% aqueous carboxymethylcellulose – or CMC, is actually cellulose gum, which is a plant based material – the other 30% is a is a medical grade biodegradable polyester (yes, I know!) called polycaprolactone which has been approved by the United States Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) for over 20 years. This polycaprolactone is the active ingredient which helps your body make its own collagen.
When the Ellansé is injected into your face – it doesn’t hurt at all, your face is numbed beforehand – the CMC gives you immediate fullness; this is then gradually absorbed into your body which the polycaprolactone starts getting your own body producing Type 1 collagen which is the stuff you need for more stable, longterm results. Eventually the polycaprolactone is also absorbed safely by your body. Unlike the Hyaluronic acid fillers which bind water to create volume and therefore dissapears once the acid is gone, the Ellansé collagen stimulator is supposed to make sure your ‘volume’ is being created internally and is why it’s said to last for up to four years.
What does the doctor do and what does it feel like?
Basically the Ellansé collagen stimulator is exactly the same as any sort of facial filler you may have tried before. The doctor will determine which areas of your face need ‘filling’ and then numbing cream is applied and the product is injected using a cannula – which is just a slightly larger needle. It is practically painless. Yes, you can ‘feel’ the movement of the cannula and the material moving under the top layer of your skin and this can feel a bit weird but it’s not painful while you’re being injected.
Post injection you may have some tightness, tenderness or swelling and/or tiny little red dots where the needle was inserted, but this passes very quickly. You can walk right out and put makeup on and go back to the office if you wish to. That night of the injection you should ice your face to help with any possible swelling, and sleep on your back plus don’t do vigorous exercise or lie on your face for a massage etc.
My results
As I mentioned above I’m no stranger to using fillers (and pretty much every kind of non invasive aesthetic procedure you can think of) so I was not surprised that my immediate results looked great. I definitely looked fresher, more relaxed and according to friends and colleagues who hadn’t seen me for a while I actually looked quite a few years younger. Over the following weeks I noticed that there was no slight reduction in volume as I’d experienced previously with other types of fillers, plus the swelling reduced more quickly too. It’s now about month after the Ellansé collagen stimulator was injected and the results are still quite obvious; people are still remarking on how much younger I look, and as far as I’m concerned that’s the perfect response. I’ll be interested to see exactly how long this new product lasts … I’m hoping for at least two years.
We tried the Ellansé collagen stimulator courtesy of Dr Siew Tuck Wah of Radium Medical Aesthetics. You read the doctor’s full explanation of the product at drsiew.com/ellanse-everything-need-know-collagen-stimulating-filler.
Dr Siew Tuck Wah, Radium Medical Aesthetics, 3 Temasek Boulevard, North Wing, Tower 2, #03-326, Suntec City Mall, Singapore 038983. If you live in Malaysia, the procedure is also available from Dr Lim Ting Song at Clique Clinic, 4, Jalan 19/36, Seksyen 19, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Looking for more beauty tips and news? Check out our Beauty Secrets section or discover this new facial you should try.
