The gradual decline of collagen production in our skin is one of the most significant factors in visible aging. While this process is entirely natural, it affects nearly every aspect of how our skin looks and functions. Understanding what happens when collagen diminishes—and what can be done about it—requires looking beyond surface-level solutions to the underlying biological processes that keep skin resilient and youthful.
The Biology of Collagen and Why It Matters
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, making up approximately 75% of our skin’s dry weight. It forms the structural framework that keeps skin firm, smooth, and elastic. Think of it as the scaffolding beneath the surface—when that scaffolding is robust, the skin above remains taut and smooth. When it weakens, everything above it begins to sag and fold.
From around age 25, the body’s natural collagen production begins to slow. This decline accelerates over time, with most people losing about 1% of their collagen each year after age 30. By the time someone reaches their 50s, they may have lost a substantial portion of their original collagen stores. This loss isn’t just about appearance—it affects the skin’s ability to heal, its moisture retention, and its overall health.
The visible signs are familiar: fine lines that deepen into wrinkles, hollowing in the cheeks and temples, sagging along the jawline, and a general loss of volume throughout the face. The skin becomes thinner, less resilient, and more prone to damage. These changes happen gradually, which is precisely why they can be so difficult to address. Surface treatments may temporarily improve texture or tone, but they don’t address the fundamental structural deficit that causes these changes.
Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short
For decades, the aesthetic industry has focused primarily on two approaches: filling lost volume and resurfacing the skin. Traditional dermal fillers add immediate volume by injecting gel-like substances into areas of hollowness or depression. These work well for specific purposes, but they’re essentially a replacement strategy—they substitute for lost volume rather than addressing why that volume disappeared in the first place.
Resurfacing treatments like chemical peels, laser therapy, and microneedling focus on the skin’s outer layers, stimulating some collagen production through controlled injury. These can improve texture and tone, but their effects on deep structural collagen are limited. They work on the surface while the underlying framework continues to deteriorate.
Neither approach fundamentally changes the trajectory of collagen loss. They provide temporary improvements that require repeated treatments to maintain, but they don’t reverse or significantly slow the underlying process of collagen depletion.
The Shift Toward Regenerative Aesthetics
A different philosophy has emerged in recent years, one that focuses on stimulating the body’s own regenerative capacity rather than simply replacing what’s been lost. This approach recognizes that the body still has the ability to produce collagen—it just needs the right stimulus to do so.
Collagen stimulators work by triggering a biological response that encourages fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing collagen, to become more active. Rather than adding external volume that will eventually be absorbed, these treatments create an environment that promotes new collagen formation. The body responds as it would to a healing process, laying down fresh collagen fibers that integrate naturally with existing tissue.
This regenerative approach has several advantages. Results develop gradually as new collagen forms, creating a natural-looking improvement rather than an obvious sudden change. The new collagen becomes part of the person’s own tissue structure, so results can last considerably longer than traditional fillers. And because the treatment works with the body’s natural processes rather than against them, the outcomes tend to be more harmonious with the individual’s facial structure.
How Modern Collagen Stimulators Work
The most advanced collagen stimulators use biocompatible materials that are gradually absorbed by the body while triggering collagen production. When injected into the deeper layers of the skin, these materials create a temporary support structure. More importantly, their presence signals the body to begin a regenerative process.
As the material is slowly broken down and absorbed, the body responds by producing new collagen around and in place of the injected substance. This process takes time—typically several weeks to months—but the result is genuine new tissue rather than temporary filler. The new collagen continues to provide structure and volume long after the original injected material has been completely absorbed.
Different formulations work at different speeds and stimulate varying degrees of collagen production. Some provide immediate volume along with gradual collagen stimulation, while others focus primarily on the regenerative effect with less immediate volumizing action. The choice depends on the specific aging concerns being addressed and the timeline for results.
The Timeline of Regeneration
One of the most important things to understand about collagen-stimulating treatments is that results don’t appear immediately. This is actually a feature, not a drawback—the gradual development of results is what creates natural-looking improvement.
In the first few weeks after treatment, there may be some immediate volume effect from the injected material itself and from localized swelling. But the real transformation begins as fibroblasts respond to the stimulus and begin producing new collagen. This process accelerates over the following weeks and months.
Most people begin to notice visible improvement around 4-6 weeks after treatment, with results continuing to develop for 3-6 months or even longer. The new collagen that forms during this period is genuine new tissue that integrates with existing structures. Unlike temporary fillers that inevitably degrade, this new collagen continues to provide support and structure.
The longevity of results depends on several factors, including the specific product used, the amount injected, individual metabolism, and ongoing aging processes. However, because the new collagen is actual tissue rather than foreign material, results typically last significantly longer than traditional fillers—often 18 months to several years.
Combining Regenerative and Supportive Approaches
While collagen stimulation addresses the fundamental structural deficit in aging skin, it’s not necessarily the only approach needed. Many people benefit from a combination strategy that uses both regenerative treatments and targeted volume replacement.
For instance, areas that require immediate volume restoration—such as deeply hollowed temples or severe nasolabial folds—might benefit from some immediate volumizing effect while collagen regeneration progresses. Other areas might need only the gradual, natural improvement that pure collagen stimulation provides.
The art and science of modern aesthetic treatment lies in understanding which approach, or combination of approaches, best serves each individual’s needs. This requires careful assessment of facial anatomy, aging patterns, tissue quality, and personal goals..
The Importance of Individualized Treatment
No two faces age in exactly the same way. Genetics, lifestyle, sun exposure, weight fluctuations, and countless other factors influence how and where aging manifests. This means that effective treatment must be highly individualized.
A thorough assessment considers facial anatomy, volume loss patterns, skin quality, underlying bone structure, and personal aesthetic goals. Treatment planning involves determining which areas would benefit most from collagen stimulation, how much product is needed, and what injection technique will achieve the most natural and harmonious results.
This individualized approach extends to follow-up care and maintenance. Some people may achieve their desired results with a single treatment session, while others benefit from a series of treatments to build collagen gradually over time. Maintenance treatments may be recommended after a year or more to sustain results as natural aging continues.
Beyond the Face: Comprehensive Rejuvenation
While facial aging is most visible and often most concerning, collagen loss affects other areas as well. The neck, décolletage, and hands all show signs of aging through volume loss, skin thinning, and decreased elasticity. Modern collagen stimulators can address these areas too, though treatment approaches may differ from facial applications.
The neck, for instance, has thinner skin and different underlying structures than the face, requiring careful adaptation of technique. The hands benefit from collagen treatments that address both volume loss and skin quality. A comprehensive approach to aesthetic aging considers all visible areas and develops a coordinated strategy.
Treatment Options
Specialized collagen-stimulating techniques using Ellanse that address different patterns of facial aging and individual needs.
Ellanse Pentagram (五芒星) is known as the 5-point lift method and represents an efficient approach to facial rejuvenation for those who need lifting without extensive volumization. This technique focuses on five strategic anatomical points that act as anchors for the facial structure: the temple, front cheekbone, back cheekbone, pre-jowl area, and angle of the jaw.
By treating these specific locations with Ellanse collagen stimulator, the Pentagram technique effectively enhances facial structure and provides subtle lifting throughout the face. The treatment typically requires only 3ml of Ellanse, making it ideal for individuals who maintain relatively good facial volume but notice signs of sagging or loss of definition. The strategic placement at these five key points creates a lifting effect that radiates throughout the face, restoring a more youthful contour and improved definition along the jawline and mid-face.
The beauty of this approach lies in its efficiency—by targeting the most structurally significant points rather than treating the entire face, it achieves comprehensive rejuvenation with minimal product. This makes it particularly suitable for those in the earlier stages of facial aging or those who prefer a subtle enhancement.
Ellanse LadyHeart (轮廓固定) focuses on achieving comprehensive face lifting along the outline of the face and is designed for individuals who need both lifting and substantial volumization. This technique addresses the outer perimeter of the face, treating the temple, buccal area, jawline, pre-jowl region, and chin.
The LadyHeart approach requires a larger volume of Ellanse collagen stimulator, typically 6-8ml, to achieve the desired effect. This makes it especially beneficial for individuals with sunken faces, significant volume loss, or those who need more comprehensive restoration of facial structure. By enhancing the outer circle of the face, this technique provides both volumization and lifting simultaneously.
Contrary to what might be expected, enhancing the outer perimeter doesn’t enlarge the face—instead, it provides crucial support to the facial framework, creating a lifted and tighter appearance. The treatment restores the structural foundation that has been lost with age, resulting in a balanced and more youthful contour. The comprehensive nature of this approach addresses multiple areas of concern in a coordinated manner, ensuring harmonious results that respect natural facial proportions.
Both techniques utilize Ellanse’s unique properties that provide an immediate volumizing effect while stimulating the body’s own collagen production over time. As the body gradually absorbs the gel carrier and microspheres, newly formed collagen takes their place, creating lasting structural improvement that can endure for 2-3 years depending on the formulation used.
The choice between Pentagram and LadyHeart depends on individual assessment of facial structure, degree of volume loss, and aesthetic goals. During consultation, our practitioners conduct a thorough facial analysis to determine which approach will best address your specific concerns and create results that look natural and enhance your inherent features.
Take the Next Step in Your Aesthetic Journey
If you’ve noticed changes in your facial volume, skin quality, or overall appearance that concern you, collagen-stimulating treatments may offer the comprehensive, natural-looking improvement you’re seeking.
Schedule a consultation with Kowayo Aesthetic Clinic to learn more about how Ellanse collagen-stimulating treatments can address your specific concerns. Whether you need the targeted efficiency of the Pentagram technique or the comprehensive restoration of the LadyHeart approach, we’ll discuss which option is most appropriate for you, what you can expect from treatment, and how we can help you achieve the refreshed, rejuvenated appearance you desire.