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Ellanse The Latest Collagen Stimulating Long Lasting Filler

June 14, 2017
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Ellanse from Dr Isaac Wong

ELLANSE 洢莲丝 “少女针”

Ellanse from Dr Isaac Wong

What is 少女针?

少女针is a very innovative and descriptive nickname for Ellanse, the latest collagen bio-stimulating filler available in Singapore. This long-lasting filler is manufactured in the Netherlands and has CE marking (the European version of the FDA). It was popularised in Seoul and Taiwan many years ago, and it was in Taiwan where the interesting nickname came about.

But why this special nickname? This is because multiple before after pictures of happy patients treated with Ellanse emerged in the Taiwanese media (mainly by Dr Lin Shang Li), showed that Ellanse is able to reverse the signs of aging on their faces, making them appear 5-10 years younger than their real age, hence the term, “少女针”. Since the coining of the term 少女针, this term is also popularised and has spread like wildfire to surrounding countries in Asia, including Hongkong and China.

It has also arrived in Singapore since late 2015. I am one of the few doctors in Singapore to have vast experience with collagen-stimulating fillers, first with Radiesse (Calcium Hydroxyapatite Collagen-Stimulating Filler) and being their regional trainer ( check out my Education page for more details), and then being the FIRST Ellanse trainer in Singapore, and also the FIRST Ellanse Asia Advisory Board Meeting member representing Singapore.

Click here to read about my accreditation as the FIRST Ellanse Trainer in Singapore and the FIRST Singapore doctor-representative to the inaugural Ellanse Asia Advisory Board Meeting 2016.

What are the signs of facial aging?

Signs of facial aging

Signs of facial aging include:

  1. Sunken forehead and temples
  2. Loss of volume in the cheeks, sagginess of the cheeks
  3. Deep smile lines/naso-labial folds and jowl formation
  4. Change of facial contour from a V to a widened U shape
  5. Deep skin lines and folds

How does Ellanse work?

Ellanse is made up of 30% Polycaprolactone (PCL 聚及内酯) smooth, spherical, 25-50um microspheres homoegenously suspended in 70% Carboxymethycellulose (CMC) gel. PCL is a well-known bioresorbable medical polymer (a medical material able to be metabolised by the skin and then absorbed 100%) and used in many CE and US FDA approved medical devices for over 20 years, thus its track record is sturdy.

Ellanse works by:

  1. An immediate filling and lifting effect
  2. Collagen production by your skin in the next 3-6 months to replace the dissolving CMC gel
  3. Ellanse microspheres degraded and absorbed by your skin over the indicated duration (S – 1 year, M – 2 years, L – 3 years, E- 4 years)

For more info, watch the video below:

Which areas can Ellanse be used for?

Ellanse Indications

Ellanse can be used for almost all parts of the face:

  1. Forehead and temples augmentation
  2. Brow Lifting
  3. Cheek Filling and Lifting
  4. Nasolabial Folds Smoothening (Smile Lines)
  5. Marionette Lines Smoothening (Puppet Lines)
  6. Nose and Chin reshaping
  7. Hands Volumizing

How many types of Ellanse are there?

There are 4 versions of Ellanse, as seen below, with the filler longevity ranging from 1-4 years:

Ellanse product types

How is it different from other collagen-stimulators?

  1. Sculptra (Poly-L-Lactic Acid) collagen stimulators need 3-4 weeks to see the effects, whereas Ellanse has an immediate filling effect while waiting for the new collagen to be produced (in this case, Ellanse is similar to Radiesse).
  2. Sculptra fills up a zone/area of the face for general collagen stimulation, whereas Ellanse can be used to fill up a zone/area as well as used for precise contouring (like the nose bridge and chin).
  3. Sculptra needs 3-4 sessions of treatment before the results last 2 years, whereas 1 session of Ellanse treatment can last from 2-5 years (including the collagen produced that lasts for an extra 0.5-1 year on top of the longevity of Ellanse.
  4. Sculptra needs massage of treated areas for 5 days after treatment whereas Ellanse doesn’t need any massage.

Other collagen-stimulators last maximally around 1-2 years but Ellanse can last up to 4 years.

Which doctors can provide Ellanse treatments?

ELLANSE IS NOT A FILLER FOR BEGINNER / NOVICE DOCTORS!

Ellanse lasts much longer than other fillers and thus, the injection of Ellanse has to be precise, accurate and safe to avoid any short-term or long-term complications.

Ellanse is unable to be reversed immediately, unlike Hyaluronic Acid (which can be reversed by injections of an ‘antidote’ called Hyaluronidase aka Hyalase).

To put it in blunt terms, there is no way out of messing up Ellanse injections. The doctor offering Ellanse must be EXTREMELY COMPETENT IN FILLER INJECTIONS and EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN FACIAL ANATOMY. There is zero margin for error in using Ellanse.

There is a very different technique of using collagen-stimulating fillers VS hyaluronic acid fillers. Hence, Ellanse is only suitable for aesthetic doctors/plastic surgeons who are highly experienced in facial anatomy, and also in using collagen-stimulating fillers.

Click here to read about my accreditation as the FIRST Ellanse Trainer in Singapore and the FIRST Singapore doctor-representative to the inaugural Ellanse Asia Advisory Board Meeting 2016.

Conclusion

Conclusion of Ellanse Dermal Filler
  1. If you want to restore youth to your face and look 5-10 years younger, Ellanse has a proven track record both in Taiwan, China, Hongkong and in my patients.
  2. If you want to avoid the pain of yearly filler injections, Ellanse is most suitable for you.
  3. If your doctor is highly experienced in using Collagen-Stimulating Fillers and skilled in facial anatomy, then he is the right doctor to use Ellanse on your face.
  4. If you are having signs of facial aging but not keen on a surgical facelift, then Ellanse is very suitable for you due to its strong collagen stimulating properties.
  5. If you always want the best and latest technology for yourself, Ellanse is highly suitable for you, having features that are technologically more advanced than any other filler on the market now.

Click here to read about my accreditation as the FIRST Ellanse Trainer in Singapore and the FIRST Singapore doctor-representative to the inaugural Ellanse Asia Advisory Board Meeting 2016.

Got questions? Feel free to contact me through these various methods:

 

References

  1. de Melo, F., Nicolau, P., Piovano, L., Lin, S. L., Baptista-Fernandes, T., King, M. I., Camporese, A., Hong, K., Khattar, M. M., & Christen, M. O. (2017). Recommendations for volume augmentation and rejuvenation of the face and hands with the new generation polycaprolactone-based collagen stimulator (Ellansé®). Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 431–440. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S145195
  2. Christen, M. O., & Vercesi, F. (2020). Polycaprolactone: How a Well-Known and Futuristic Polymer Has Become an Innovative Collagen-Stimulator in Esthetics. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 13, 31–48. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S229054
  3. Kim J. S. (2019). Changes in Dermal Thickness in Biopsy Study of Histologic Findings After a Single Injection of Polycaprolactone-Based Filler into the Dermis. Aesthetic surgery journal, 39(12), NP484–NP494. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjz050
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