Dr Pamela Willekens & Dr Antoni Calmon
Sagging, thinning and wrinkled skin, appearance of cellulite… The skin on the body also has its specific needs. Collagen stimulators provide an aesthetic and therapeutic response.
The collagen revolution is here to stay
Recommended for stopping skin aging, repairing age-related issues and restoring loose skin after pregnancy or weight loss, collagen inducers are highly appreciated by patients and doctors alike for the results they deliver. Today, they constitute a fully-fledged category of skin treatments for both body and face. Doctors Antoni Calmon, an aesthetic physician in Paris, and Pamela Willekens, director of the Evolve clinic in Schilde, Belgium, detail their respective practices.
Pamela Willekens, Collagen inductors are conquering the body
There is a new generation of patients in their thirties and forties who have well understood the advantages of preventative treatments to halt signs of aging and maintain a young and beautiful skin. More mature patients have also become aware of the importance of good skin quality for a youthful appearance and are looking to treat skin thinness, laxity, and wrinkles.
This fairly recent “skin-quality awareness” is gaining momentum, as the impressive results on people who use collagen inductors inspires others to try them. I have been using Lanluma for the past 3 years and really appreciate the natural results that appear gradually over the course of a few months. Patients also like it very much because it’s discreet yet visible. It can either be used as a collagen inductor to tone and thicken loose skin, or to tighten a jawline without adding volume. I treat my younger patients who do not want HA fillers but are looking for prevention and skin health, and for that indication I inject a standard dilution of 16ml sterile water and 1-2 ml of lidocaine for 1 vial on the face with a 22 g cannula.
For firmer and thicker skin on the neck, and an uplifted jawline, I use it in a double dilution but if I want a little bit of volume on the face, I use standard dilution and generally use ½ to 1 vial. Lanluma is also an excellent indication for the upper arms, a delicate and tricky area. I dilute the product double for smoother looking arms with less sagginess. I usually carry out between 2 or 3 treatments spaced 2 to 3 months apart and recommend starting the protocol during the winter so as to be ready for summer. I refresh every 18 months with 1 vial per arm. However, if the arms have too much fat and sag heavily, I recommend surgery because the indication goes beyond skin improvement.
Though I do a lot of face and neck treatments, a great indication is the décolleté where I get lovely results on crinkly, parchment-like skin by using it in double dilution. The collagen induction properties work really well and I obtain firmer, smoother and thicker skin with smoothed wrinkles. The abdomen is the latest indication and emanates mostly from younger women to fix post pregnancy loose skin. For the arms and abdomen, I get very good results by first doing RF or HIFUs, then after a few sessions injecting the product.
Thanks to Lanluma I’ve started to do a lot more body procedures and have attracted new patients. I find it’s really fun to do and it’s rewarding because you make people very happy with the results.
Antoni Calmon, A very interesting multi-purpose application
I’ve been using collagen inducers to improve skin texture on the face and body for several years now, in response to a growing demand from my patients. The qualities of the product are important in relation to the desired result, which is why I use Lanluma X, formulated with poly-L-Lactic acid. Its versatility is very interesting, as it can be used either as a volumiser to give the buttocks shape, for example, or diluted to firm and densify the skin of the arms, thighs and buttocks. To add volume to the buttocks, I recommend it above all on slim women and on skin that is not overly thick. I reconstitute the powder in equal parts with physiological saline and inject 2 vials per buttock of Lanluma X with lidocaine for use on the body, using a cannula (19g, 15 cm). The process is repeated 6 weeks later. The result is a nicely contoured, lifted buttock with dense, even skin, especially when compared with HA filling, which can cause irregularities.
For collagen induction to thicken, firm and smooth loose skin on the arms, I use the product diluted 1 in 3, as the skin is very thin. For the thighs and buttocks, I get great results with the 1 in 2 diluted version, because it recreates a thick skin mattress, while visibly smoothing out the orange-peel appearance, which is greatly appreciated by women. I also inject it on the top of the knees to smooth creases with a small cannula at the dermal-epidermal junction, and on the stomach to tone and tighten loose post-partum skin. For the product to express its full potential, I advise my patients to follow the rule of 5: A vigorous 5-minute massage 5 times a day for 5 days, to stimulate collagen and fibroblast production for an even more visible improvement in skin texture. I recommend a maintenance visit every year.
Dr Pamela Willekens: CEO and Aesthetic doctor at Evolve ClinicMember of SBME-BVEG (Belgian Association for Aesthetic Medicine) since 2009Board Member SBME-BVEG since 2023Trainer for IBSA derma.
More informations: evolve-clinic.be
Dr Antoni Calmon: Aesthetic doctor. Graduate in general medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of Reims.DU in aesthetic medicine Paris Créteil (DUTIC). DU in medical lasers Faculty of Medicine of the Sorbonne. Graduated from the GMC, United Kingdom Professor of medical rhinoplasty at the Faculty of Paris Créteil.
More informations: drantonicalmon.com
