Sculptra rebuilds gradually and HA filler adds volume on the day. How they differ in speed, duration, reversibility and cost at Cannelle.
Imagine two ways to restore a face that has quietly lost some fullness. One works like a sculptor, adding shape you can see before you leave the room. The other works like a gardener, planting something that grows slowly over the following months. At Cannelle Skin Clinic in Summertown, Oxford, both are on offer, and both are placed by Dr Mattia Parducci. Hyaluronic acid filler is the sculptor. Sculptra is the gardener. Neither is “better”. The right choice depends on where your volume has gone, how quickly you want to see a change, and how you feel about a result that cannot simply be taken back. Here is how to tell which suits you.
| Performed by | Sculptra session | Back to work | Sculptra lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Mattia Parducci, GMC 7635663 | 30 to 45 minutes | 24 to 48 hours | Up to 24 months or more |
Hyaluronic acid filler is a gel. It occupies space where it is placed, so a flattened cheek or a hollow can look fuller straight away. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule your skin already makes, and filler gels are stabilised to last longer, but your body still breaks them down over time.
Sculptra is made by Galderma from poly-L-lactic acid, and it does not fill anything itself. Galderma’s UK Sculptra information describes it as stimulating your skin’s own collagen production. Any early fullness is mostly temporary swelling. The real change grows quietly over weeks and months, and what you end up with is your own collagen. Cannelle’s Sculptra explainer goes deeper into how that collagen response works. Here, the question is how to choose. This is often the question that decides it. Cannelle’s facial volume loss page puts it neatly: which treatment suits you depends on whether your volume loss is focal or general, and on the quality of the skin over it.
Many faces have a bit of both, so the best conversation starts with what bothers you most.
With filler, the change is visible the same day, softened by a few days of swelling. Cannelle reviews filler results at two to four weeks. With Sculptra, almost nothing shows for several weeks, and that is rather the charm of it. Cannelle’s Sculptra page describes firmer skin and restored volume building over 8 to 12 weeks, with the fullest results usually around three to six months after the final session. The clinic reviews Sculptra at around three months and does not add more until the first result has shown.
If you have a wedding next month, that difference matters. If you love the idea of friends saying “you look well” rather than “have you had something done?”, the slow version may be exactly your style. Filler is usually a single appointment, sometimes with a small refinement at review. At Cannelle it is priced by the amount used, from £345 for 1ml.
Sculptra is a course. Cannelle’s page says most patients need two to three sessions, four to six weeks apart, and Galderma’s UK information says three on average over a few months. Your number depends on how much volume has been lost. Sculptra is £640 per vial at Cannelle, and the price list shows £1,630 for three. Dr Mattia works out how many vials you are likely to need and confirms the price before he begins.
It is worth comparing plans by total cost over the time you want the result to last, not by the price of the first visit.
Allergan Aesthetics’ UK Juvéderm Q&A gives 9 to 24 months for its fillers, depending on product and area. Cannelle’s own estimates for filler range from six to 18 months across different areas. Galderma’s UK information says Sculptra results may last more than two years, and Cannelle’s page gives up to 24 months and often longer. Because the result is your own collagen, it fades gradually as your skin continues its natural ageing. All of these are estimates rather than promises.
This is where they differ most. Hyaluronic acid filler can often be broken down with an enzyme injection if a doctor judges it appropriate. The enzyme is a prescription-only medicine, so that is a medical decision rather than a quick undo. Sculptra is not hyaluronic acid, so that option does not apply. The collagen your skin builds is not something that can be dissolved. That is one reason Sculptra is placed conservatively and built over sessions, and why some people like to begin with something reversible.
Because the result is your own collagen, it fades gradually as your skin continues its natural ageing.
Both are injections, so swelling, tenderness and bruising are common. Galderma’s UK information says Sculptra’s injection reactions generally settle within two to six days. Sculptra’s instructions for use also list small lumps (nodules) and granulomas, which can appear later. Cannelle asks Sculptra patients to massage the treated areas as directed, as part of the aftercare. With any facial injectable, the rare serious risk is a blood vessel being affected. Severe or worsening pain, or skin turning pale, white, dusky or mottled, needs urgent assessment as UK professional guidance sets out, so contact the clinic straight away. Any sudden change in vision means A&E or 999.
Cannelle also offers Radiesse, made by Merz Aesthetics from calcium hydroxylapatite. It gives some support straight away and also encourages collagen, so it sits neatly between the two. Like Sculptra, it is not hyaluronic acid and cannot be broken down with the same enzyme. There is no rule that you must choose one, or either. Some people start with a little filler for one specific hollow. Some prefer a gentle course of Sculptra. Some discover that what really bothers them is skin quality rather than volume, which is a different and equally enjoyable conversation.
If you would like to compare them for your own face, contact Cannelle Skin Clinic or call 01865 537 885 to see Dr Mattia in Summertown. Bring an older photograph if you have one, because it often shows where the volume has gone more clearly than a mirror. You can also read about the Sculptra treatment and the clinic’s dermal fillers.
Compare the options for your own face at a consultation with Dr Mattia in Summertown.
Answers to the questions this article tends to raise. Anything else is welcome at your consultation.
It is often grouped with fillers because it is injected to restore volume, but it works differently. It does not fill a space on the day. It prompts your skin to build collagen over the following months.
It is possible, but not automatic. Some faces benefit from precise filler in one area and broader support elsewhere. Dr Mattia will tell you if a combined plan would genuinely help, and in what order. Starting with one and reviewing is often the nicest way in.
The change builds slowly, which tends to make it read as your own face rather than a treatment. That relies on careful placement and realistic amounts, and individual results vary.
Massage helps the product spread evenly in the days after treatment. Cannelle explains exactly what to do at your appointment, so follow those instructions rather than general advice online.
Yes. Some people start with a little filler for a specific concern and consider Sculptra later for broader support. Your plan can change as your priorities do.
Our clinic is located in Summertown, Oxford, just north of the city centre in one of Oxford’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. Discreet and easy to reach, we offer a premium setting for bespoke skin, aesthetic and wellness care.
We welcome patients from across Oxford city and Oxfordshire, including Summertown, Headington, Kidlington, Abingdon, Bicester, Witney and the surrounding towns and villages. Whether you’re coming for routine skin-health treatments or specialist aesthetic consultations, our location is well connected and simple to access.
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