Ellansé Filler: Is It Really That Amazing? How Is It Different From Hyaluronic Acid?

As we age, our skin gradually loses the elasticity and radiance of youth, developing wrinkles, laxity, and hollowing. In the search to restore a youthful complexion, people have long looked for effective aesthetic methods. Within the medical aesthetics field, an innovative product called “Ellansé” has drawn wide attention. This article analyzes the effects and ingredients of Ellansé and compares it with hyaluronic acid. Recommended reading: 《How Are Restylane and Teosyal Hyaluronic Acid Different? How to Choose?》 《Regret Getting Hyaluronic Acid? Don’t Worry—Hyaluronidase Can Solve Your Concerns!》 《What Is Hyaluronic Acid | An In-Depth Guide 》

The Origin of Ellansé

Ellansé is a dermal filler marketed by the renowned French pharmaceutical company Sinclair and developed and manufactured by the Dutch company AQTIS Medical™. It received marketing approval in EU countries in 2009, entered the Korean and Hong Kong markets in 2012, and was not introduced to Taiwan until 2015 (it is not yet available in Canada). Ellansé has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European CE certification, indicating that it meets the relevant safety and quality standards. As an internationally recognized product, Ellansé is now widely used in 75 countries worldwide. It obtained EU medical device certification in 2009 and won the “EU Facial Filler Innovation Technology Award” in 2011. The patented PCL microspheres have also received international safety certifications including from the FDA. In addition, Ellansé underwent four clinical studies over a five-year period to ensure its safety and efficacy.

The Ingredients and Effects of Ellansé

Ellansé has been described as offering the combined effects of a “hyaluronic acid + calcium hydroxylapatite + collagen injectable.” Its composition is 30% PCL and 70% CMC. This means Ellansé not only serves facial filling functions—such as nasal augmentation, chin augmentation, and treatment of the forehead, temples, cheeks, and tear troughs—but can also stimulate the skin to produce collagen, making it appear brighter, smoother, and more hydrated. PCL is a medical-grade polymer that is fully absorbed by the body, commonly used in wound dressings, orthopedic implants, and surgical sutures. It stimulates the growth of the body’s own collagen. CMC is a gel carrier with excellent viscosity and elasticity; once injected into the skin’s surface layers, it can immediately improve wrinkles. Over the course of treatment, the CMC gel carrier is gradually absorbed by the body, after which the PCL begins to take effect, stimulating collagen growth to replace the absorbed gel carrier and making the skin firmer and fuller. Even after the PCL is absorbed, the newly generated collagen can persist for a period of time. By continuously stimulating collagen production, Ellansé helps the skin maintain a youthful state.

Ellansé Compared With Hyaluronic Acid

Ellansé and hyaluronic acid differ in their filling effects and their ability to stimulate collagen regeneration. Ellansé controls its duration of action based on the length of the PCL chains, and comes in four grades—S, M, E, and L—which maintain effects for 1 to 4 years respectively. By contrast, hyaluronic acid does not stimulate collagen regeneration. However, there are other differences between Ellansé and hyaluronic acid. Ellansé is non-dissolvable—once injected, it cannot be dissolved, so choosing a skilled physician is very important. By comparison, hyaluronic acid has a corresponding hyaluronidase that can dissolve it when needed, providing a “regret remedy” that can be used. In terms of pros and cons, Ellansé is less prone to migration, whereas hyaluronic acid carries a greater risk of migration; Ellansé lasts longer, while hyaluronic acid’s effects are relatively shorter; in addition, Ellansé feels natural with no stiffness after injection, whereas poorly performed or inaccurately dosed hyaluronic acid injections may cause a stiff feeling or an artificial appearance. In terms of use, Ellansé is primarily used for facial filling, but is not suitable for injection into areas such as the eyelids and lips. It can improve nasolabial folds and marionette lines, refine facial contours, fill in hollows, and shape the chin and nose. By comparison, hyaluronic acid is injected mainly into deeper layers, supplemented by superficial injections. Small-molecule hyaluronic acid is suited to superficial injection and works for areas such as periorbital wrinkles, the “aegyo sal” (lower-eyelid fold), and the lips; medium-molecule hyaluronic acid is suited to soft-tissue filling, such as the tear troughs, temples, and forehead; and large-molecule hyaluronic acid is suited to facial contouring, such as nasal and chin augmentation.

Ellansé Side Effects

Using Ellansé for aesthetic injections may cause the following side effects and risks:

1. Bruising and swelling: Swelling may appear within 5–7 days after injection, varying by individual physical condition. If the physician’s technique or the product used is substandard, bruising and redness may last longer and become more severe.
2. Infection: When a physician’s technique is improper or post-treatment care is inadequate, the risk of bacterial infection at the injection site or areas contacted afterward may increase.
3. Scar hyperplasia: This side effect occurs mainly in individuals with a keloid-prone constitution, or when injections are too shallow or too concentrated. In addition, taking collagen orally may contribute to this problem in some people, because collagen molecules are too large; once they enter the body they are engulfed by macrophages, which fuse together to form foreign-body granulomas. When these granulomas become too large and accumulate under the skin, they can cause an uneven skin surface and scar hyperplasia.
4. Vascular occlusion (embolism): Embolism usually results from immature technique, using excessive pressure during injection and closing off a blood vessel. When filling the forehead and temples, if the injection site and depth are incorrect, it can even lead to serious consequences such as blindness.

Therefore, when choosing Ellansé for aesthetic injections, it is essential to select an experienced, technically skilled physician and to follow the doctor’s advice and procedural guidance. Proper post-treatment care and regular follow-up visits are also very important to reduce the occurrence of side effects and risks.