Doctor OhVely's Beauty Column
Collagen Volume Ep.1: How to Naturally Restore Sunken Cheeks, Temples & Nasolabial Folds While Improving Skin Firmness | Hongdae Collagen Volume
Collagen Volume is a treatment that focuses on naturally improving volume and elasticity by stimulating collagen production within the skin rather than simply filling hollow areas with external substances.
Representative Collagen Volume treatments include CaHA-based Radiesse, Juvelook Volume combining PLA and HA, and PLLA-based Collaum Volume. All three treatments utilize collagen production, but they differ in their ingredients, the process by which volume is formed, and the speed of change.
Collagen Volume may be considered especially when hollow cheeks or temples make the face look tired, when nasolabial folds and volume loss appear together, or when you want naturally restored volume rather than the feeling of being filled with filler.
What Is Collagen Volume?
One-Line Answer
Collagen Volume is a method that stimulates collagen production within the skin to improve reduced facial volume and skin support together.
Wrinkles are not the only reason the face looks older.
As collagen that supports the skin decreases over time and facial volume also diminishes, the front and lateral cheeks may become flatter, the temples may become hollow, and shadows around the nasolabial folds may appear deeper.
In particular, volume loss in one area can affect the overall appearance of the face, such as hollow lateral cheeks → more prominent-looking cheekbones → uneven-looking facial contours.
In this case, simply filling a large amount into the empty space is not necessarily what is needed.
Collagen Volume aims to stimulate the process of new collagen production within the skin to restore volume in hollow areas and improve skin elasticity at the same time.
Therefore, it may be considered when you want to naturally restore volume while preserving the original curves of your face rather than creating a sudden, overly full appearance.
CHECK POINT
✔ The key to Collagen Volume is not filling the face excessively, but naturally restoring reduced volume and skin support.
Why Does Facial Volume Decrease With Age?
One-Line Answer
Facial volume loss occurs not only due to reduced collagen in the skin, but also as changes in the fat layers and skin-supporting structures occur together.
At some point, you may feel that your cheekbones look more prominent or that your nasolabial folds have become deeper.
Rather than the cheekbones suddenly becoming larger, reduced volume around the cheekbones may make them appear relatively more prominent.
Common changes include the following.
- Hollow temples make the outer facial contours appear uneven.
- Hollow lateral cheeks make the cheekbones appear more prominent.
- Reduced front cheek volume makes the nasolabial folds appear deeper.
- The midface becomes flatter, creating a tired appearance.
- Reduced skin elasticity makes the volume appear to have shifted downward.
Therefore, when improving facial volume, rather than ‘filling one hollow area,’ it is important to assess which areas of the entire face have lost volume and how this has changed the surrounding contours.
What Is the Difference Between Collagen Volume and Filler?
One-Line Answer
While hyaluronic acid fillers are effective at directly creating the necessary volume and shape with the injected product, Collagen Volume focuses on stimulating collagen production to gradually create natural volume and elasticity over time.
If your cheeks are hollow, filler may be the first treatment that comes to mind.
Because fillers directly create volume in the desired area, they have the advantage of providing immediate changes in height and shape when needed.
In contrast, collagen stimulators utilize the process of collagen production within the skin.
Therefore, rather than creating the feeling of suddenly being filled with a large amount of product, the goal can be to naturally connect hollow areas of the face over time while improving skin elasticity at the same time.
Desired Change | Method to Consider First |
|---|---|
Want to create volume immediately | Hyaluronic Acid Filler |
Want to create precise height and shape | Hyaluronic Acid Filler |
Want naturally developing volume | Collagen Volume |
Want to manage volume and skin elasticity together | Collagen Volume |
Concerned about looking overly filled with filler | Collagen Volume |
However, the two treatments do not need to be viewed as completely opposite concepts.
For example, Radiesse is based on CaHA and has the characteristic of creating initial volume while subsequently stimulating collagen production, combining the characteristics of direct volume enhancement and collagen regeneration.
CHECK POINT
✔ Rather than simply asking ‘filler or Collagen Volume,’ it is better to first consider whether immediate changes in shape are important or whether naturally developing volume and elasticity are more important.
Which Is Better for Hollow Lateral Cheeks: Filler or Collagen Volume?
One-Line Answer
If immediately correcting the shape of hollow lateral cheeks is the priority, filler may be considered first. If you want to improve natural volume and skin elasticity together, Collagen Volume treatments such as Radiesse may be compared first.
The lateral cheeks are not an area that necessarily looks natural simply by filling a hollow area with a large amount of product.
When the lateral cheeks become hollow, shadows form beneath the cheekbones, making the cheekbones appear more prominent and the face look thinner or more tired.
Therefore, for the lateral cheeks, it is important to naturally connect the curve extending from beneath the cheekbones to the front cheeks and jawline.
Especially when hollow lateral cheeks are accompanied by reduced skin elasticity, rather than simply replenishing volume directly, an approach that considers both volume and skin structure may be helpful.
Because Radiesse is based on CaHA and stimulates collagen production within the skin while restoring initial volume, it is a good option to compare when you want to improve both lateral cheek volume and elasticity. Radiesse is also used to restore volume in areas such as hollow cheeks and temples.
CHECK POINT
✔ The important question for hollow lateral cheeks is not ‘How much should be injected?’ but ‘How naturally can the disrupted curves of the face be connected?’
Is Collagen Volume Also Effective for Hollow Temples?
One-Line Answer
If hollow temples make the outer facial contours from the forehead to the cheekbones appear uneven, Collagen Volume can be used to restore a more natural curve.
The temples may not seem particularly noticeable from the front, but they have a significant effect on the overall facial contours.
When temple volume decreases, the line extending from the forehead to the cheekbones curves inward, making the cheekbones appear relatively more prominent.
The goal in this case is not simply to make the temples protrude.
It is important to smoothly connect the outer facial contours from the forehead → temples → cheekbones.
Therefore, volume treatments that utilize collagen production may also be considered for areas such as the temples, where natural volume is needed across a broad area.
CHECK POINT
✔ The key to temple volume is not making one area protrude, but restoring continuity to the outer facial contours.
What Kind of Collagen Volume Treatment Is Radiesse?
One-Line Answer
Radiesse is a Collagen Volume treatment based on CaHA (calcium hydroxylapatite) that can provide initial volume restoration followed by collagen production.
The biggest characteristic of Radiesse is that volume and collagen regeneration can be considered at the same time.
The product containing CaHA microparticles restores volume in hollow areas and subsequently stimulates new collagen production within the skin.
Therefore, it is useful not only for cases of insufficient volume, but also for faces where volume loss and reduced skin elasticity occur together.
Radiesse may be considered for the following concerns.
- Hollow lateral cheeks make the cheekbones appear more prominent.
- Hollow temples make the outer facial contours appear uneven.
- Volume loss around the nasolabial folds is a concern.
- You want natural volume and skin elasticity together.
- Initial volume is important rather than waiting only for gradually developing effects.
With Radiesse, additional changes appear as collagen gradually increases, and the average duration of effects is approximately 12–18 months.
CHECK POINT
✔ Radiesse is worth considering when you want to address both ‘the volume needed now’ and ‘the collagen that will be produced afterward.’
When Is Juvelook Volume Suitable?
One-Line Answer
Juvelook Volume may be considered when you want volume to naturally develop over time in areas such as hollow cheeks, a flat forehead, or deep wrinkles.
Juvelook Volume is a collagen booster combining PLA-based microparticles and hyaluronic acid (HA), which stimulates collagen production within the skin while naturally restoring deficient volume.
In particular, it is helpful to distinguish between regular Juvelook and Juvelook Volume, despite their similar names.
While regular Juvelook focuses on improving the quality of the skin itself, including skin texture, pores, fine lines, and scars, Juvelook Volume focuses more on areas that require volume, such as hollow cheeks, a flat forehead, and deep wrinkles around the nasolabial folds or mouth.
Juvelook Volume may be considered in the following cases.
- You want to naturally fill hollow cheeks.
- You want natural dimension in a flat forehead.
- You are concerned about deep wrinkles around the nasolabial folds and mouth.
- You prefer gradual volume development rather than a suddenly filled appearance.
- You want to manage skin elasticity together with volume.
CHECK POINT
✔ Understanding that ‘Juvelook’ focuses on skin texture, while ‘Juvelook Volume’ also considers deficient volume, can make it easier to choose between them.
What Effects Can Be Expected From Collaum Volume?
One-Line Answer
Collaum Volume uses PLLA microparticles to stimulate collagen production within the skin, gradually creating natural volume and elasticity over time.
Collaum Volume is a PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid)-based collagen stimulator.
Rather than immediately creating the final shape with the injected product, it utilizes the process of collagen production within the skin to allow volume to form naturally over time.
Therefore, it may be compared when sudden volume changes feel burdensome or when you want gradual volume that naturally blends with your face.
Collaum Volume may be used for the following concerns.
- Overall facial volume has decreased.
- Broad areas such as the cheeks and temples appear hollow.
- Deep wrinkles and reduced skin elasticity are concerns at the same time.
- You want natural changes rather than the immediately filled appearance of filler.
- You want to create long-term volume changes by stimulating collagen production.
CHECK POINT
✔ The key to Collaum Volume lies less in ‘volume created by the amount injected’ and more in ‘volume created as collagen is produced.’
How Should You Choose Between Radiesse, Juvelook Volume, and Collaum?
One-Line Answer
Radiesse, Juvelook Volume, and Collaum all utilize collagen production, but they can be selected based on the desired speed of change, degree of volume, and treatment area.
Rather than simply comparing the three by asking, “Which one is the best?” it is better to first consider the desired results.
Category | Radiesse | Juvelook Volume | Collaum Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
Main Ingredient | CaHA | PLA-based + HA | PLLA |
Volume Approach | Initial volume + collagen | Gradual volume | Gradual autologous collagen volume |
Skin Elasticity | Considered together | Considered together | Considered together |
Speed of Change | Initial change + gradual change | Gradually increases | Gradually increases |
Key Concerns | Lateral cheeks · temples · nasolabial folds, etc. | Hollow cheeks · forehead · deep wrinkles | Volume loss · deep wrinkles · elasticity |
Key Selection Criteria | Volume and collagen together | Natural volume formation | Gradual changes centered on autologous collagen |
Because their ingredients and characteristics differ, rather than deciding that one product is always superior, it is important to choose based on the changes currently needed in the face and the desired speed of those changes.
CHECK POINT
✔ If you want both rapid volume and subsequent collagen changes, Radiesse may be considered, while Juvelook Volume or Collaum may be compared if you want volume that develops gradually and naturally.
When Do the Effects of Collagen Volume Begin to Appear?
One-Line Answer
Depending on the product, Collagen Volume may provide visible initial volume immediately, or natural volume may gradually develop over several weeks to months as collagen is produced.
Collagen Volume is not a treatment whose results should be judged solely by the appearance immediately after treatment.
Radiesse provides visible initial volume while collagen production continues afterward. Additional changes from collagen proliferation may appear over approximately 2–3 months.
With Juvelook Volume, volume gradually increases as collagen production progresses after the initial swelling subsides, and repeated treatments may be planned to achieve sufficient changes.
Collaum Volume also uses PLLA to create gradual volume changes through the time required for collagen production.
Therefore, Collagen Volume can be understood as a treatment where the focus is not “How much was filled today?” but rather “How will the facial contours and volume naturally change over time?”
CHECK POINT
✔ With Collagen Volume, it is important to evaluate the results over the time required for collagen production rather than only immediately after treatment.
Today, we looked at Collagen Volume.
Next time, we will return with Part 2 of Collagen Volume with more detailed information.
This has been Dr. Audrey!
Frequently Asked Questions About Collagen Volume (FAQ)
Q. Are Collagen Volume and Filler the Same Treatment?
No. Hyaluronic acid fillers are effective at directly creating the necessary volume and shape with the injected product, while Collagen Volume focuses on stimulating collagen production to improve natural volume and skin elasticity together.
Q. Which Is Better for Hollow Lateral Cheeks, Filler or Radiesse?
If immediate changes in shape are important, filler may be considered first. If you want to improve natural volume and skin elasticity together, Radiesse may be compared first. Radiesse has the characteristic of providing initial volume while also stimulating subsequent collagen production.
Q. Does Radiesse Have an Immediate Effect?
Initial volume can be seen relatively quickly, with additional changes appearing afterward as collagen production continues.
Q. What Is the Difference Between Juvelook and Juvelook Volume?
Regular Juvelook focuses on improving the skin itself, including skin texture, pores, fine lines, and scars, while Juvelook Volume also considers volume improvement in areas such as hollow cheeks, the forehead, and deep wrinkles.
Q. When Is Collaum Volume Suitable?
It may be considered when you want natural volume that develops as collagen is produced over time using PLLA. It may be compared especially when you prefer gradual volume rather than a sudden, overly filled appearance.
Q. Can Collagen Volume Be Used on the Temples?
Yes. If reduced temple volume makes the outer contours from the forehead to the cheekbones appear hollow, it may be considered as a method for restoring a natural curve.
Q. Can Collagen Volume Help With Nasolabial Folds?
Collagen Volume may be considered when volume loss around the nasolabial folds occurs together with reduced skin elasticity. Rather than simply filling the wrinkle line itself, it is important to assess the volume of the front cheeks and surrounding tissues together.
Q. Can Collagen Volume Also Help With Skin Elasticity?
Yes. Because it stimulates collagen production, it can be used not only to restore volume but also to improve skin support and elasticity.
Q. Is Collagen Volume a Good Option If I Do Not Like the Overfilled Look of Filler?
If you prefer volume that gradually and naturally develops over time rather than sudden volume, Collagen Volume may be a good option to compare. However, if immediate shape correction is important, the advantages of filler may be more suitable.
Q. Do Collagen Volume and Lifting Have the Same Effect?
No. Collagen Volume focuses on restoring lost volume and skin support, while energy-based lifting focuses on improving sagging tissue and skin elasticity. If volume loss and sagging occur together, the two approaches may be considered according to their respective purposes.