“Ozempic face” is a term that is becoming more popular as people experience significant facial deflation using weight loss medications such as Ozempic. To restore facial volume, people are searching for effective non-surgical solutions to bring back youthful plumpness. Two names often come up in conversations about volume restoration: Radiesse and Sculptra. Both are classified as biostimulators, meaning they don’t just add volume like traditional fillers, they help your body naturally rebuild collagen too. While they achieve similar goals, Radiesse and Sculptra work in distinct ways and offer different outcomes. Choosing the right one depends on your specific facial anatomy, your goal, and how quickly you’d like to see results. Here’s a closer look at how each filler works and how they differ.
Unlike traditional dermal fillers, which use hyaluronic acid to add immediate volume, bio stimulators take a regenerative approach by stimulating your body’s own collagen production to gradually restore volume, improve skin texture, and support long-term facial rejuvenation. They’re usually used for patients who want results that evolve over time and last longer than standard fillers.
Biostimulators are particularly effective for addressing deep volume loss, especially in the midface, temples, jawline, and lower cheeks—areas that tend to lose not just fat, but also collagen and even bone density as we age. This is especially relevant in cases of rapid weight loss, such as those caused by GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, where facial thinning can become more pronounced. Both Radiesse and Sculptra help reverse this process…but in slightly different ways.
Radiesse is a biostimulatory filler made of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres, a mineral naturally occurring in our bones and teeth, suspended in a smooth gel that provides immediate volume restoration and stimulates collagen production over time. Radiesse’s unique ability to support soft tissue and bone structure sets it apart, making it especially beneficial in treating age-related bone loss in the face, such as along the jawline or cheekbones.
Because of its firm, supportive texture, Radiesse is often used in areas where structure and lift are needed, like the chin, jawline, and lower face. It’s also commonly used to smooth out aging hands. Results appear right away and continue to improve over several months as new collagen forms, creating healthier and firmer skin, while also providing longer lasting fullness for up to 15 months or longer.
Sculptra works a bit differently. It’s made from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), the same material found in dissolvable sutures that’s been safely used in medical settings for decades. Rather than providing instant volume, Sculptra is designed to stimulate collagen production within the dermis gradually and can take up to 6 months to see noticeable improvement. Over a series of treatments, Sculptra helps rebuild your skin’s underlying structure, leading to a soft, natural-looking fullness that develops over time. This makes Sculptra great for patients who are more interested in subtle, progressive results in areas like the temples, cheeks, and nasolabial folds.
Sculptra due to its reliance on inflammatory response to create collagen, there is a slightly higher chance of developing nodules and granulomas and why our doctors prefer Radiesse over Sculptra in our clinic.
While both Radiesse and Sculptra fall under the category of biostimulatory fillers, the way they work (and the type of results they deliver) are quite different. Radiesse offers immediate structure and support, making it an excellent option for patients who want to see results right away. Its ability to stimulate both collagen and bone matrix production makes it particularly effective for restoring definition in areas affected by structural loss, such as the jawline or cheeks.
Sculptra is more of a slow builder. It doesn’t quite offer instant plumping, but instead, it gradually improves skin thickness and volume by encouraging long-term collagen regeneration. If you’re dealing with facial volume loss from weight reduction or aging, like the trending concern of “Ozempic face”, both injectables can help, but the right one for you will depend on your goals, timeline, and treatment plan.
Radiesse and Sculptra treatment ranges from $800-$1100 per vial/syringe in our clinic.
Radiesse and Sculptra are both highly effective solutions for restoring facial volume and reversing signs of aging…but they do so in distinctly different ways. Radiesse provides immediate lift and structure with ongoing collagen support, while Sculptra delivers gradual, natural-looking fullness through deep dermal stimulation. One isn’t better than the other—it simply comes down to what your face needs most.
Are you not sure which one is right for you? A consultation is the best way to determine which product is the right fit. Call us at 610-789-6701.
