Ageing is slow and cumulative, subtle for years until one day you look in the mirror and the contours that once felt defined start to soften. In my case, significant weight loss collided with natural ageing, and I very quickly noticed I wasn’t looking as youthful as I had done just a year prior.

How the face ages

Collagen is the structural protein that gives skin its firmness, elasticity and bounce. Think of it as the scaffolding that keeps everything lifted and smooth. “From around age 25, we lose about one per cent of our collagen each year,” explains EV Expert and The Aesthetic Doctor Clinic Founder, Ahmed El Muntasar. “By our 40s and 50s, this can increase to around 1.5 per cent annually. And over time, key areas like the temples and under the eyes hollow, while jowls, lines and folds deepen.”

Not only are we losing collagen with age, we also see our fat pads—that once gave structure to the cheeks, under-eyes, jawline and temples—begin to shrink and descend too. Bone subtly remodels, reducing projection in the mid-face. The result? Less support, more shadow, and less definition.

“For those who do experience more significant weight changes, this natural volume loss can be amplified, revealing the underlying structure more starkly,” adds El Muntasar. In my case, it was the combination of both.

My body hadn’t just changed, my face had too—hollowing in the temples, flattening of the mid-face, deeper nasolabial folds, mild jowling, and a loss of the underlying fullness that once gave my face structure. The extra facial fat I’d carried for years had been quietly disguising the ageing that was taking place, and despite having regular energy-based treatments, in-clinic procedures and an active-packed skincare routine, it was obvious that I needed a little something extra to help rebuild volume and structure. Cue Julaine.

How Julaine works

Julaine is made from PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid), a biostimulatory substance that works through smooth microspheres designed to trigger collagen production. “It encourages the skin to build sheets of collagen around said microspheres,” explains El Muntasar. “They then dissolve within about 12 weeks, but the collagen they trigger remains,” he adds. Unlike PLLA injectables of old, it works by activating cellular repair processes rather than relying on tissue inflammation, resulting in firmer, more elastic, radiant skin and no risk of lumps forming due to an inflammatory reaction.

Unlike dermal filler which delivers instant results, Julaine works gradually over about three months and can last up to two years after a couple of sessions. It’s administered with a cannula and can safely be used in delicate areas such as the temples, under the eyes, jawline, smile lines, marionette lines, neck, décolleté and hands.

Collagen stimulation vs dermal filler

Having opted for dermal fillers over biostimulators in the past, I was keen to change tack this time round. I wanted to see how much collagen I could boost, and how much structural change I could achieve ‘naturally’ before opting for dermal fillers. Then once I was three months post my last session, I’d see if I felt like dermal filler was needed. While it has its place when it comes to volume loss, I’m mindful of migration risks, and the fact that filler can last far longer in some people than previously thought.

The treatment experience

The procedure itself was quick and straightforward. After numbing, El Muntasar used a cannula to place the product strategically through my mid-face, temples, and under-eyes. There was a very mild pressure but no sharp pain, and the whole experience only took around 30 minutes. I was able to go straight back to my day, and while there was some swelling, I was actually thankful for it as my face looked nice and plump, and my lines and nasolabial folds were less pronounced, which was what I was hoping to achieve as a final result.

“You may notice subtle improvements within a couple of weeks, but the full results build over 12 weeks,” shares El Muntasar. Most people need two to three sessions, with two often being the sweet spot according to El Muntasar, who also says that results can last up to two years.

The results so far

Two weeks post my first session, the swelling had gone down, but my mid face already felt a little firmer and smoother. Six weeks after my second session, the difference was clear: my cheeks were definitely fuller—I could tell because the dents on either side of my nose, just under my eyes and at the inner corners of my cheeks, were less pronounced. My under eye area looked less hollow, and overall definition around my jaw had improved (as volume restoration in the mid-face had lifted the lower face).

My mum even asked if I’d had filler, as according to her I looked ‘less gaunt’. The results are incremental, and not instant like dermal filler, so I will wait to see how I look post my third and final session. But so far, so good.

Ongoing collagen strategy

However, I’m not relying on a single treatment to change my face. My collagen-boosting arsenal includes exosomes, polynucleotides, radio frequency microneedling, lasers, and skincare built around prescription-strength actives. Julaine is another smart (if I do say so myself) addition to that toolkit. “For moderate changes, Julaine is ideal, as it works beautifully for restoring structure in a soft, natural way,” believes El Muntasar, and I would have to agree.

For me, Julaine isn’t a quick fix or a replacement for everything else I do, it’s a collagen-first approach that's helping to support my skin from the inside out.