Polycaprolactone

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that, in aesthetic medicine, acts as a collagen stimulator. In PCL-based products, polycaprolactone microspheres are suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) gel.

The product acts in two stages. Immediately after administration, the CMC gel provides a filling and smoothing effect - visible right away. Over time, the gel is naturally absorbed, and the PCL microspheres stimulate fibroblasts to produce their own collagen, which gradually takes over the role of tissue support. As a result, the effect is long-lasting and looks natural.

Polycaprolactone has been used in aesthetics for years and carries the CE mark; its properties as a collagen stimulator have been described in scientific publications. Depending on the product version (which differs in the PCL resorption rate), the effect can last roughly from about a year to several years.

At the Dr Kuschill MEDESTETIS clinics in Krakow and Warsaw, the treatment is preceded by a consultation and medical qualification. It is the physician who selects the product version, the area and the administration technique to suit the facial structure and the patient's expectations.

Polycaprolactone is used where a simultaneous replenishment of volume and a long-lasting improvement in skin quality is needed. The indications include, among others:

• loss of firmness and a sagging facial oval
• nasolabial folds and marionette lines
• loss of volume around the cheeks, temples and jaw
• improvement of the contour and support of the lower face
• a general age-related decline in skin tone and density
• a desire to achieve a long-lasting, gradually building rejuvenation effect

The treatment begins with a consultation, facial assessment and qualification. We cleanse and numb the skin - PCL products often contain lidocaine, and a numbing cream can additionally be applied.

The product is administered with a needle or cannula into the deep layer (subcutaneously), sculpting the indicated areas. The treatment usually takes 30-60 minutes, depending on the number of areas.

One treatment is most often sufficient, and any top-up is assessed by the physician after a few weeks, once the full biostimulation effect is visible. The treatment plan is set individually.

The effect has two phases: immediate smoothing and volume replenishment thanks to the gel, followed by gradual consolidation and improved firmness thanks to the newly forming collagen. The skin looks firmer, and the features rested and naturally supported.

The durability of the effect is one of the advantages of polycaprolactone - depending on the product version, it lasts roughly from about a year to several years. Results are individual and depend, among other things, on skin structure, the area and lifestyle; effects cannot be guaranteed.

After the treatment, the skin needs a few days of gentle handling. You will receive detailed recommendations in writing; they usually include:

• avoiding touching and pressing the injection sites, and makeup, for the first few hours
• avoiding the sauna, swimming pool, intense exercise and hot baths for approx. 1-2 weeks
• avoiding sun exposure and the solarium, and applying SPF
• avoiding alcohol and blood-thinning medications in the peri-treatment period (as advised by the physician)

Polycaprolactone is administered by a physician after qualification. The contraindications include, among others:

• pregnancy and breastfeeding
• an active infection or inflammation at the treatment site
• a tendency to keloids and hypertrophic scarring
• autoimmune diseases in an active phase
• blood coagulation disorders
• hypersensitivity to the product's ingredients (including lidocaine)
• cancer under treatment

Given the durability of the effect, the decision to undergo the treatment should be made carefully; the final qualification is carried out by the physician.