Our skin tells the story of time in many ways.
Sometimes it shows as softening around the cheeks or jawline. Sometimes it appears as a gradual loss of firmness, a change in skin texture, or a face that looks a little more tired than it once did. While many people think of ageing in terms of wrinkles alone, one of the most important changes beneath the surface is the steady decline in collagen.
At REclinic, I often talk about the importance of supporting the skin rather than simply
chasing isolated lines or adding volume where it is missing. This is one of the reasons I am
so interested in regenerative treatments — treatments that work with your own biology to
rebuild strength, structure and resilience over time.
One of the best-known collagen stimulators in aesthetic medicine is poly-L-lactic acid,
or PLLA.
PLLA has been used in medicine and aesthetics for well over 20 years, and it remains
relevant for a very simple reason: it works. It stimulates the body’s own collagen production, helping to gradually restore support in areas where age-related change has led to volume loss, laxity or softening.
But as with all good treatments, the story does not stop with the original product.
In recent years, PLLA technology has evolved. We now have newer, more refined options
that are designed to give the same collagen-stimulating benefits in a gentler, more
predictable way. This is where the conversation becomes especially interesting — and why I want to talk about both Sculptra and JULÄINE™.
PLLA is a biostimulator injectable. Unlike traditional dermal fillers, which are designed to add immediate structure or volume, PLLA works more gradually. Once placed into the tissue, it stimulates fibroblasts — the cells responsible for collagen production — encouraging the skin and supporting tissues to rebuild from within.
This gradual response is one of the reasons PLLA has remained so valuable in aesthetics. It does not create a sudden or obvious change. Instead, it supports a more subtle and natural improvement over time.
For the right patient, this can mean:
This regenerative approach fits beautifully with the philosophy we follow at REclinic. I am far less interested in treatments that make someone look different, and far more interested in treatments that help someone look well, rested and naturally refreshed.
When we talk about PLLA in aesthetics, we must begin with Sculptra.
Sculptra has been used since the early 2000s and has a long history behind it. It was first
used to help correct facial lipoatrophy in people living with HIV — a condition where there is visible loss of fat in areas such as the cheeks, temples and around the eyes. That history
matters, because it tells us that PLLA is not a passing trend. It has longstanding clinical use and a meaningful evidence base behind it.
Over time, Sculptra became widely used in aesthetic medicine because of its ability to
stimulate the body’s own collagen production and gradually restore facial volume. Rather
than simply placing a product that sits in the tissue and creates instant fullness, Sculptra
encourages the body to do the work itself. That is precisely why it has remained such an
important product for so many years. It is also why I think Sculptra deserves respect.
Any newer PLLA treatment exists because Sculptra helped establish this category in the first place. It proved that collagen stimulation could offer a different and often very elegant route to facial rejuvenation.
However, it is also important to be honest about the limitations of older-generation PLLA
products.
Sculptra is associated with a very particular aftercare culture that many patients and
injectors will know well: the 5-5-5 protocol.
Traditionally, this means:
The aim is to help distribute the PLLA particles evenly through the treated tissue while the
product is settling, to reduce the risk of palpable nodules or uneven collagen stimulation.
Historically, this became such a standard part of Sculptra treatment because practitioners
wanted to minimise the chance of product clustering in the tissue. In real life, however, this
can be one of the main downsides. It relies heavily on patient compliance, and not every
patient finds that easy to follow consistently.
From my perspective, this is where treatment choice becomes so important. It is not enough for a product to be effective. It also needs to fit into real life, behave predictably in tissue, and support a smoother overall patient journey. Sculptra’s PLLA particles have often been described as more crystalline in structure, and in some patients, this can contribute to a higher tendency towards inflammation or nodule formation if technique, product preparation, or aftercare are not ideal. Official safety information also acknowledges that lumps and delayed nodules can occur.
That does not mean Sculptra is a poor treatment. It means it is an older-generation
treatment that requires careful handling, correct patient selection, and meticulous aftercare.
This is exactly why I have been so interested in JULÄINE™.
At its core, JULÄINE™ uses the same category of active ingredient that has made PLLA so
respected in aesthetics. It stimulates collagen, works gradually, and supports the skin from within. In that sense, it carries forward everything that made PLLA valuable in the first place.
But what makes JULÄINE™ so appealing to me is the refinement.
JULÄINE™ has been developed as a more advanced, more modern PLLA product, with a
particle design that is smaller, smoother, more spherical and more refined than older
formulations. In practice, that matters. A more refined particle profile is designed to support a gentler tissue response, lower inflammatory burden, and more predictable collagen stimulation.
In very simple terms, it aims to give us the benefits we value in PLLA, but in a more elegant
and controlled way.
This is one of the biggest reasons I use it.
For me, JULÄINE™ represents the newer generation of collagen stimulation — a treatment
that sits very comfortably within modern aesthetics, where patients want natural results,
better safety, less inflammation, and a treatment journey that feels calmer and more
predictable. If Sculptra helped open the door for PLLA in aesthetics, JULÄINE™ feels like the refined next chapter.
When we talk about collagen stimulators, some level of tissue response is expected. That is part of how these treatments work. But not all tissue responses are equal. One of the important conversations around modern biostimulation is not simply whether a product stimulates collagen, but how it does so. My preference is always for treatments that encourage healthy, natural collagen growth with as little unnecessary inflammation as possible. When a product creates a gentler and more controlled response in tissue, we are generally aiming for collagen remodelling that looks and feels more natural, with less risk of unwanted fibrous change or palpable irregularity.
This is a key part of why I see JULÄINE™ as such an exciting development.
It aligns with the direction aesthetic medicine is moving in, away from harsher correction and towards more refined regeneration.
At REclinic, every treatment starts with a detailed consultation. I always assess the face as a whole, rather than focusing on one isolated concern. We look at skin quality, facial support, patterns of ageing, and whether a collagen stimulator is genuinely the right fit. When I treat with JULÄINE™, I usually recommend one vial per treatment area in one session. Most patients do very well with a course of three to four sessions, typically spaced four to six weeks apart.
This spacing allows the collagen response to build gradually and allows us to take a measured, natural approach. That is always my preference. I would rather build beautiful results in a thoughtful and controlled way than try to force change too quickly.
The outcome I am looking for is not a face that looks “done”.
It is skin and structure that feel stronger, healthier and better supported — so that the face
looks fresher, softer and more rested, while still looking completely like you.
Patients sometimes ask me whether Sculptra and JULÄINE™ are similar. The honest answer is yes — and no.
Yes, because both belong to the same family of PLLA collagen stimulators and both are
designed to work through collagen regeneration.
But no, because the patient experience, tissue behaviour and overall refinement can feel
very different.
Sculptra is the original, longstanding product that helped define this category. JULÄINE™ is, in my opinion, the more advanced and modern evolution of that same concept. If I were to explain it very simply, I would say that Sculptra represents where PLLA began, while JULÄINE™ represents where it has gone next. Or to borrow a more everyday comparison: Sculptra did the important early work, but JULÄINE™ feels like the newer, sleeker, more refined version — built on the same principle but improved for modern expectations.
What excites me most about treatments like JULÄINE™ is that they reflect a bigger shift in
aesthetics. Patients are becoming more informed. They are less interested in looking treated and more interested in looking well. They want results that are subtle, safe, regenerative and sustainable. They want treatments that support healthy ageing rather than chase short-term trends.
That is exactly the direction I believe in.
At REclinic, I will always favour treatments that combine science, safety and subtlety. PLLA
remains one of the most important regenerative tools we have — and I believe newer- generation options like JULÄINE™ are helping us use that technology in a more refined and patient-friendly way.
If you have been curious about collagen-stimulating treatments, but want an approach that feels natural, medically led and carefully tailored, a consultation is always the best place to begin.
PLLA is not about changing your face overnight.
At its best, it is about helping your skin and supporting tissues rebuild gradually, beautifully and in a way that still feels entirely like you.
If you would like to explore whether JULÄINE™ could be the right option for your skin,
structure and long-term aesthetic plan, I would be delighted to guide you through it.
Book your personalised consultation with Martina at REclinic and discover whether a
regenerative collagen-stimulating treatment could be the right next step for you.
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