Sculptra (PLLA)
스컬트라 · also: poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA collagen stimulator
A poly-L-lactic acid stimulator that doesn't fill anything on the day. Instead it provokes your own collagen to build over months, which is why it suits gradual overall firming rather than shaping a specific feature — and why it lasts longer than almost anything else injectable.
This breaks the skin or carries vascular/systemic risk, so a medical intake is required before treatment.
How it works
PLLA microparticles are suspended in a carrier and injected into the deep dermis or subcutis. The carrier absorbs within days, leaving particles that trigger a controlled foreign-body response: fibroblasts arrive and lay down new type I collagen around them over months. The particles themselves fully break down, leaving only the collagen behind.
Deep injection · acts at 3–8 mm · deepest layer: Fat layer
Subcutaneous fat. Volume, contour, and the target of fat-reducing treatments.
Depths are indicative and vary by device, cartridge, body area and individual.
Deep injection
Material is placed beneath the skin, on or near bone, to restore volume or build structure.
People choose this for
Products & devices used
Not all "Sculptra (PLLA)" is the same — the specific brand or machine changes the price and the feel. Common options in Korea:
Imported PLLA collagen biostimulator for gradual, larger-scale volume; needs a strict massage protocol.
A PDLLA + HA hybrid that stimulates the skin's own collagen while adding immediate hydration; low nodule risk.
What it does
- ✓Gradual overall firming
- ✓Improved skin thickness
- ✓Restores hollowed volume
- ✓Longest-lasting of the biostimulators
Good for you if
- •Sunken cheeks and temples
- •Overall thinning skin from age
- •People who dislike an obviously filled look
- •Anyone who can commit to a course
Aftercare
- ✓Massage the area exactly as instructed — commonly five minutes, five times a day, for five days.
- ✓Expect mild swelling and possible bruising for a few days.
- ✓No saunas or heavy exercise for 48 hours.
- ✓Photograph yourself at the start; the change is too slow to notice in a mirror.
Not suitable if
- !Keloid or hypertrophic scarring tendency.
- !Active autoimmune or inflammatory skin disease.
- !Under-eye and other very thin-skinned areas — high nodule risk.
- !Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- !Unwillingness to do the aftercare massage, which genuinely raises the nodule risk.
FAQ
Sculptra or Juvelook?
Both stimulate collagen, but Juvelook pairs PDLLA with hyaluronic acid so you get some immediate hydration and it leans toward skin quality, pores and fine scarring. Sculptra is pure PLLA, aimed at deeper structural firming, and lasts longer — 2+ years versus roughly 12–18 months.
Why does nothing happen for weeks?
Because there's no filling agent. Any volume you see on day one is the carrier fluid, and it goes away. Real change starts around 4–6 weeks and builds for 3–6 months.
Can it go wrong?
Nodules are the known risk, especially if it's injected too superficially or not massaged properly afterwards. Follow the massage instructions your clinic gives, and avoid it in thin-skinned areas like under the eyes.
Does it fit a single trip?
Not really. Three sessions spaced 4–6 weeks apart means either a long stay or repeat visits — plan it as a Korea-over-several-trips treatment.
Price range by care tier
Market ranges for reference — actual quotes depend on the clinic, doctor and area.
Before you compare quotes: what this price is actually per
- Sold by the sealed vial. You pay for the whole vial even if less is used.
Sold by the vial — you pay for the whole vial whether or not it's all used. One Seoul list showed it only as an event price (₩1.09M per vial), which is common: biostimulators are a frequent promotion item. A full plan is 3 vials or more, so ask for the course total rather than the per-vial price.
Won prices quoted above are from a dated reference price list for one Seoul clinic chain (2026-07-24), used to show the shape of pricing — not a national average, and not a quote. Prices include 10% VAT: the foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025.
How it compares
Sculptra (PLLA) beside the other Skin Boosters & Regeneration options travellers usually weigh against it.
| Comparison factor | Sculptra (PLLA)스컬트라 | Rejuran Healer리쥬란 | Juvelook / Collagen Booster쥬베룩 | Water-Glow Injection물광주사 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | Builds your own collagen, slowly | The 'salmon DNA' skin healer | Liquid collagen stimulator | Injected hydration & dewy glow |
| Depth reached | Fat layer · 3–8 mm | Dermis · 0.5–2 mm | Dermis · 1–3 mm | Dermis · 0.5–1.5 mm |
| How it works | Deep injection | Intradermal injection | Intradermal injection | Intradermal injection |
| Downtime | 0–3 days | 1–3 days | 1–2 days | 0–1 daysleast downtime |
| Pain | gentlest | |||
| Visits for full result | 3–4 visits | 3–4 visits | 2–3 visits | 1–3 visits |
| Results last | 2+ years | 6–12 months with maintenance | 12+ months | 2–4 months |
| Trip fit | Several visits weeks apart — one trip = partial result | Several visits weeks apart — one trip = partial result | Several visits weeks apart — one trip = partial result | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days |
| Priced per | per vial | per cc injected · per session | per cc injected · per vial | per cc injected |
| From | ₩600k–900k | ₩150k–300k | ₩200k–350k | ₩80k–150k |
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