Regular fillers vs sculptra vs ellanse (for deep wrinkles particularly)

[AliciafromGalicia]

Is there a difference between how each of these 3 options look? I know that the latter 2 are non-reversible and also build collagen but I just wondered if they look the same in the short run when injected? And do any of them do a better job on deep wrinkles than others? I saw a demonstration of a doctor injecting standard filler at an open evening once and I have to say I was underwhelmed but there are photos of sculptra/ellanse on the website I'm considering and they look amazing. Is this just good marketing and/or an unusually poor result in the demonstration (maybe the individual injected just didn't have that bad wrinkles to begin with)?

I choose regular (hyaluronic acid) fillers. They come in different viscosities, thicker gel for deep wrinkles, more liquid for fine lines. I've always been happy with it and find I get the best part of two years of benefit, but it can be dissolved if it goes wrong or if you don't like it.

Sculptra isn't completely permanent but lasts longer than HA fillers. It causes problems for around 9% of people who have it. Mostly this is due to hard and visible nodules forming under the skin, which are permanent and don't go away even when the Sculptra has finally worn off. Other, rarer complications are that it can migrate to other areas of the face, and it can become infected. As it can't be dissolved, you're stuck with it unless - in really drastic cases - you have it surgically extracted. I'm not prepared to take the risk of being one of the 9%.

Ellanse is less likely to cause permanent nodules, but it can still happen, and again it can't be dissolved if you don't like it. (In fact I've seen one doctor recommend that if you're not happy with it, the thing to do is go back and have some more(!) to make the rest of the face fit in. Eeek.) However it doesn't last as long as Sculptra, generally only about two years, and as I get that from HA fillers I don't see the need.

Hope that helps.

Also remember if you watched a demonstration you wouldn’t see the full effect. Fillers look best when they’ve settled in so at least two week. I was finally happy after 6 weeks. Mine were HA so reversible if not happy. I don’t think I’d risk permanent.

Lots can go wrong with filler or you may just not like the look. The fact you can just get them dissolved is important I think.

Thanks Feeding and Delatron - that does sound pretty scary and I do wonder why any reputable clinic would offer them if they have a "failure" rate that high (although is the rate of complications dependent on the doctor - maybe the best doctors don't get cases like this at all?). That said, I think I will go with the regular ones based on your advice. Just a shame they don't come with the collagen building properties as presumably my wrinkles are likely to just get deeper and deeper and deeper to the point that the filler can't do as much, even if they switch to a thicker one. I had some Ultherapy which I believe builds collagen and it was hugely impressive I have to say but you apparently can't use it near the mouth so not sure what I can do to keep the lines near my mouth from eventually looking so much worse than the rest of the face?

Just a shame they don't come with the collagen building properties as presumably my wrinkles are likely to just get deeper and deeper and deeper to the point that the filler can't do as much,

They do build collagen around the HA filler. So what I find is that after a couple of years there will be some deepening due to aging, but they're not nearly as bad as they would have been two years later without it.

Oh really Feedingthebirds? Where did you find that out or is it just from observation? It's just I've read about the collagen building properties of Sculptra and Ellanse and on the same websites nothing is ever mentioned about the other fillers and I'd have thought they'd say something for marketing purposes if it did actually do that.

Lasers are good for building collagen. I think also radio frequency?
So I think a combination approach is good. Bit of filler and some of the above?

There are a number of articles, but this one of the ones with decent credentials - jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/411242. But it's also my personal experience of having it.

Will look into lasers and radio frequency. May have had some of these things before - it's not always clear from the name what's the same as what.

That's interesting Feeding, thanks! I can't make much sense of it as a non-scientist but it looks like it does indeed confirm that regular fillers stimulate collagen so that's a big plus. Very glad to have found that out!