The Science of Biostimulators: How They Trigger Your Body’s Natural Collagen Production
Collagen plays a key role in maintaining the structure of your skin by keeping it firm, elastic, and smooth. As you age, your body gradually produces less collagen, which causes the skin to thin, lose volume, and develop fine lines and wrinkles.
Biostimulators address this issue by working differently from traditional fillers. Instead of simply adding volume, they stimulate your body’s natural collagen production, which can gradually restore firmness and smoothness to the skin over time.
What Collagen Does in the Skin
Collagen is a protein that forms a vital part of the skin’s support structure, helping to keep it strong, firm, and flexible. It plays a key role not only in maintaining the skin’s resilience but also in aiding the body’s natural healing process when the skin is injured.
Young skin contains abundant collagen, which gives it a firm, smooth, and radiant appearance. But as early as your twenties, the body begins to slow its collagen production, and that gradual decline continues year after year. Over time, this loss leads to fine lines, sagging, and subtle changes in the way light reflects off your skin, making it look less even and vibrant.
What a Biostimulator Is
A biostimulator is an injectable treatment designed to do more than simply fill space. Unlike traditional fillers, it works by stimulating the skin to gradually produce more of its own collagen, leading to longer-lasting improvements in firmness, texture, and overall skin quality.
This sets it apart from hyaluronic acid fillers, which plump the skin by drawing in water but do not create structural change beneath the surface. Biostimulators, on the other hand, help rebuild the skin’s foundation by encouraging new collagen growth and elastin production over time.
Common examples include calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse), poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra), and polycaprolactone (Ellansé). While each formulation works slightly differently, both Radiesse and Sculptra have been shown in studies to stimulate not only collagen but also elastin, resulting in smoother, firmer, and more resilient skin.
How Biostimulators Work
Biostimulators are injected beneath the skin, where they begin to interact with the surrounding tissue. Once in place, the body recognizes the injected particles as a safe, foreign material and responds by producing new collagen around them.
This process doesn’t happen overnight. The gel carrier may provide a subtle initial lift, but the real change comes gradually as collagen formation begins over the following weeks and continues for months. Even after the injected material is absorbed, the newly formed collagen remains, offering longer-lasting support and structure to the skin.
Why This Method Lasts Longer
Traditional fillers create volume by placing material under the skin. That effect lasts only as long as the material remains. Once the body absorbs it, the visible results disappear.
Biostimulators work differently. They trigger a slow, internal change in how the skin functions. Instead of relying on filler to create fullness, they stimulate the body to produce its own collagen. This collagen becomes part of the skin’s natural structure and stays much longer than the injected product itself.
The improvement builds gradually. Results appear over time and tend to look more natural because they come from within, not from something artificially added.
Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA)
Calcium hydroxylapatite, or CaHA, is the active ingredient in Radiesse. This compound is made of minerals naturally found in bones and teeth.
In Radiesse, CaHA is suspended in a smooth gel that provides immediate volume when injected. As the gel is absorbed, the CaHA particles remain in place, prompting the body to build new collagen and elastin around them.
Radiesse
Radiesse is especially effective in areas that need structure and definition. It can lift the cheeks, contour the jawline, be used for non-surgical BBLs and rejuvenate the appearance of aging hands. Because of its density and particle size, it is not recommended for use in the lips or areas with very thin skin.
Radiesse works best in areas that need structure like the jawline, chin, and cheeks. It is also used to rejuvenate aging hands. The results build gradually and can last 12 to 18 months or more. Over time, your own collagen replaces the filler’s initial volume.
We are licensed providers of Radiesse in Aiken SC.
Poly-L-lactic Acid (PLLA)
Poly-L-lactic acid, or PLLA, is the primary ingredient in Sculptra. Originally developed to treat facial fat loss, it gradually helps restore volume by stimulating collagen production deep within the skin.
Unlike traditional fillers, PLLA does not create immediate results. Instead, it initiates a slow remodeling process. Over the course of three to six months, the skin develops more structure and firmness as new collagen forms. Achieving the best outcome often requires a series of treatment sessions spaced over time.
Sculptra®
Sculptra uses poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a material that encourages your body to grow new collagen. It does not give instant volume. Instead, it improves facial fullness slowly over several weeks.
Sculptra is often used for hollow cheeks, temples, and other areas affected by volume loss. Most people need a series of treatments spaced over a few months. Results are natural and long-lasting, often over two years.
Ariessence PDGF
Ariessence PDGF is a regenerative injectable that uses platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) to support healing and cell renewal. PDGF is a signaling protein that encourages your skin to repair itself.
When injected, it helps improve skin thickness, texture, and strength by guiding new collagen formation. Ariessence is well-suited for people with thinning or aging skin who want subtle, natural improvement over time.
PRF EZ Gel
PRF EZ Gel uses platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to trigger healing and collagen production. This treatment takes a small blood sample, processes it, and reinjects the PRF into targeted areas.
The fibrin forms a gel that slowly releases growth factors. This supports long-term tissue repair and rejuvenation. PRF EZ Gel can improve skin tone, texture, and elasticity without adding synthetic material.
Who Might Use a Biostimulator
Biostimulators may be right for someone who:
- Has noticed skin thinning or sagging
- Wants a slow and natural build in results
- Prefers longer-lasting results
- Does not need or want changes in soft areas like lips
- Is okay with waiting for results to show
Biostimulators are not the right choice for everyone. Some people prefer instant results, while others want the option to reverse their treatment. Unlike hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, which can be dissolved if needed, biostimulators stay in the skin longer and cannot be easily reversed.
This makes them a better fit for those seeking gradual, longer-lasting improvement rather than immediate changes or flexible outcomes.
The Treatment Process
One of our providers will examine your skin, discuss your goals, and evaluate your facial structure to determine the best approach.
Before the injections, a numbing cream is applied to keep you comfortable. The biostimulator is then injected into carefully selected areas, based on your individual needs. Most sessions take less than an hour, and while you may feel slight pressure or small pinches, the procedure is generally well tolerated.
After treatment, you can return to your normal routine. Some people experience mild swelling or bruising, which usually fades within a few days. The most noticeable improvements take time to develop, with full results appearing gradually over the following weeks or months.
Benefits Over Time
Biostimulators do not alter your facial expressions or create an overfilled look. Instead, they work beneath the surface to improve skin texture, add structural support, and help the skin feel firmer over time.
These changes develop gradually, creating subtle, natural-looking results. Because they stimulate your own collagen and elastin production, the effects tend to last longer than those of many soft fillers.
Risks and Considerations
As with all injectables there are risks.
These include:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Small lumps
- Tenderness
These side effects usually pass. More serious risks are rare. Your provider will talk to you about what to watch for. Always choose a trained and licensed injector.
What to Expect Long-Term
Some biostimulators work in stages, so you may need more than one session to achieve the best results. After completing a full treatment series, many people do not require additional sessions for one to two years.
As time goes on, your skin may feel stronger and appear smoother. Because these improvements come from your body’s own collagen production, the results tend to be more stable and long lasting. However, this also means they take time to develop, so patience is key.
FAQ
No. Collagen provides strength and firmness to the skin, while elastin allows it to stretch and return to its original shape. Both are essential for healthy, youthful skin. Biostimulators like Sculptra and Radiesse help stimulate the production of both collagen and elastin over time.
Most people say they feel mild discomfort. Numbing cream helps. Injections may sting. The area may feel sore after.
No. The body keeps aging. Collagen made through biostimulation lasts longer than filler but will also fade. You may want repeat treatment after a year or more.
Yes. People often combine them with Botox and dermal fillers or skin treatments like lasers or microneedling.
Yes. These treatments work with your skin. They build volume in a slow natural way.
Final Thoughts
Biostimulators offer a more advanced way to care for aging skin. Instead of simply masking volume loss, they work with your body to rebuild the skin’s structure from within.
If you are looking for gradual and long-lasting improvement, and you are comfortable waiting for results, this treatment may be the right choice for you.
Speak with a trained provider. Ask questions. Make sure the plan fits your skin and goals. Biostimulators take time. That time can lead to real change.
