Best Value? Sculptra vs. Ellansé vs. AestheFill: Pros, Cons, Cost

After age 25, we lose about 1% of our collagen each year, so the skin loses support, leading to sunken cheeks, deeper lines, sagging, and a lack of elasticity. To replace the lost collagen, many people choose AestheFill injections, which not only stimulate collagen production but also fill sunken cheeks and sunken temples, with very natural results. It is truly a hidden-gem beauty treatment.

Ellansé and Sculptra, which work in the same way as AestheFill, also fill sunken cheeks and sunken temples and keep stimulating the body’s own collagen production. So what is the difference among the three? This article breaks it down.

How Do Sculptra, Ellansé, AestheFill, and Hyaluronic Acid Differ?

Sculptra, Ellansé, and AestheFill are fillers that stimulate the body to produce collagen. Most of them keep stimulating new collagen until “one year after treatment,” after which the collagen the body produced gradually declines as the body ages.

Hyaluronic acid begins to be lost from “the first day” after injection, and its effect declines every day, so hyaluronic acid performs worse in both duration and results. Also, the effects of collagen are cumulative, so skin problems can be treated in stages and gradually, whereas hyaluronic acid has to be topped up whenever it is lost.

Suppose you have a budget for only one area each year. If you get hyaluronic acid this year, the effect will be gone by next year and you may have to pay for another round. If you choose AestheFill instead, the effect is still there next year, and that budget can go toward treating another area, making you more and more beautiful.

Sculptra (First-Generation Collagen Stimulator)

Collagen stimulation timing: Collagen stimulation begins as soon as Sculptra is injected.

Pros: Longest-lasting, up to 2 years, with gradual and natural improvement.

Cons: You need to wait 3 months for collagen to build up, and massage is required after treatment, making aftercare more troublesome.

Sculptra is mainly injected into hollow areas after being reconstituted into a liquid. It is a component the body easily absorbs and metabolizes, so safety is very high. It stimulates collagen production to restore the skin’s fullness and elasticity and solve sunken cheeks and sunken temples.

After Sculptra is injected, you will see a short-term effect, but once the fluid is metabolized by the body, the hollows and creases in the skin reappear. It takes about 3 months for new collagen to form before the skin regains its elasticity and fullness. According to clinical trials, the effect of Sculptra can last up to 2 years.

It is especially important to note that Sculptra powder is not evenly distributed, so injection depends on the doctor’s advanced skill, and regular massage is needed for 5 days after treatment to help the powder distribute more evenly, so that new collagen forms more evenly and looks better.

Ellansé (Second-Generation Collagen Stimulator)

Collagen stimulation timing: Collagen stimulation only begins after Ellansé has been completely metabolized by the body.

Pros: Fills facial hollows immediately, no massage needed after treatment.

Cons: Lowest collagen production and shortest duration.

Ellansé was developed to address Sculptra’s 3-month wait for collagen stimulation. Because it contains a gel component, its good elasticity and viscosity give an “instant filling of hollows” effect: right after injection you can see facial lifting, improved sunken cheeks and temples, and smoother wrinkles, so it is also called a “fast-acting formulation.”

Ellansé combines the advantages of both Sculptra and hyaluronic acid: you can see the results right after the treatment, and it continues to stimulate collagen afterward. No massage is needed after treatment, and nodules are unlikely, so it is widely used in anti-aging treatments for full-face lifting, improving facial wrinkles, and correcting sunken cheeks and sunken temples.

AestheFill (Third-Generation Collagen Stimulator)

Collagen stimulation timing: Collagen stimulation begins at the same time AestheFill starts being metabolized by the body.

Pros: Good filling effect, highest collagen production, no massage needed after treatment.

Cons: Collagen production takes 1 month to start, and it has the highest cost.

AestheFill improves on Sculptra’s drawback of needing a lot of water to reconstitute, greatly reducing swelling after treatment. No massage is needed afterward, nodules are unlikely to form, and aftercare is very easy. Although both AestheFill and Sculptra are formulations whose results appear gradually, AestheFill greatly shortens the wait for new collagen to 1 month, effectively improving treatment efficiency.

After AestheFill is injected, it likewise effectively improves sunken cheeks and temples and keeps stimulating collagen production. About a week after injection, the water is absorbed by the body, and the filling and support effect falls between Sculptra and Ellansé.

AestheFill has the advantages of both Ellansé and Sculptra: besides filling facial hollows and sunken temples, it keeps stimulating the body’s collagen production. Its instant filling effect is not as good as Ellansé’s, but it produces more collagen than both Ellansé and Sculptra, and it stimulates collagen production gradually and continuously in a natural, safe way, helping you progressively gain a youthful, plump, radiant look.

Sculptra vs. Ellansé vs. AestheFill Compared

Sculptra, Ellansé, or AestheFill: Which Is the Best Value?

If your cheek and temple hollows are significant and you want an “instant filling” effect, we recommend Ellansé.

If you want to restore facial fullness slowly and naturally through collagen production, and want a longer-lasting result, we recommend Sculptra.

If you have combined concerns and want both “semi-immediate filling” and “steady collagen production,” we recommend AestheFill, which is also the best-value option!

Beyond choosing the product, the doctor’s skill is just as important. NAISS CLINIC has experienced plastic surgeons on-site, so treatment is reassuring and injections are placed accurately in the target areas for the best results.