- Doctor-led every treatment performed by a doctor
- 8 years on Harley Street
- 50,000+ patients treated
- 4.9 Google rating
Sculptra® is a poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) collagen stimulator that restores lost structure gradually, over several months, by prompting your skin to rebuild its own collagen. At Dr Elif Clinic, 54 Harley Street, London, Sculptra is led by dermatologist Dr Hasan Benar, who has used Sculptra for 15 years and has performed more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments. He is also the first author of a peer-reviewed study on Sculptra combined with laser, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2024), with 234 patients.
Sculptra® at Dr Elif Clinic at a glance
- Lead doctor: Dr Hasan Benar, dermatologist
- Sculptra experience: 15 years · more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments
- Research: first author of a 234-patient study on Sculptra with laser (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2024)
- Who injects: Dr Hasan Benar or Dr Elif Benar, both dermatologists; never a non-doctor
- Teaching: both doctors train other doctors in PLLA and collagen biostimulators
- Areas treated: temples, lateral cheeks, preauricular area, jawline and lower face, neck, décolletage, hands
- Course: usually 2–3 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart, each reviewed before the next
- Price: from £1,100 per session
What is Sculptra?
Sculptra is made by Galderma and contains microparticles of poly-L-lactic acid, a biocompatible, biodegradable material that has been used in medicine for decades. Unlike a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler, Sculptra does not give an instant shape. The initial fullness after injection is mostly water and settles within days. Over the following weeks and months, the PLLA particles stimulate your own fibroblasts to produce new collagen, so the improvement appears gradually and looks like your own tissue, not added product. Results can last two years or more.
Because Sculptra works through the body’s response over time, it is a very different treatment from filler. Being skilled with HA fillers does not automatically make an injector skilled with Sculptra: preparation, dilution, depth, distribution and the timing of review sessions all need Sculptra-specific experience.
Why Sculptra experience matters
With 15 years and more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments, Dr Hasan has treated faces of very different shapes, ages and skin types, in different areas: temples, the side of the face, the preauricular area in front of the ears, the jawline and lower face, as well as the neck, décolletage and hands. That volume matters because Sculptra outcomes depend on judgement built case by case: how much product a face can take, where it should go, and when to stop.
Planning: restoring structure, not “filling” the face
Facial ageing is not only volume loss. Bone gradually resorbs, fat compartments deflate and descend, the temples hollow, and support at the side of the face weakens, while some faces become heavier in the lower third. Before recommending Sculptra, Dr Hasan assesses these changes together. The aim is to rebuild the structural support that has been lost, especially in the temples and the lateral face, so the face looks rested and proportionate rather than fuller.
This is also why more is not better. Injecting Sculptra evenly across a face that is already heavy in the lower third can make it look heavier. Good planning means deciding where Sculptra will help, where it will not, and where a different treatment would be better.
| Area | What changes with age | How Sculptra is used |
|---|---|---|
| Temples | Hollowing that makes the face look tired and the brow look heavier | Gradual restoration of temple support, often one of the most rewarding areas |
| Lateral cheek and preauricular area | Loss of support at the side of the face and in front of the ears | Rebuilds lateral support, which can soften the look of sagging without adding bulk to the front of the face |
| Jawline and lower face | Loss of definition, early jowling | Used selectively; if the lower face is already heavy, less or no Sculptra is used there |
| Neck and décolletage | Thin, crepey skin | Diluted, superficial-to-mid-depth approach to improve skin quality |
| Backs of the hands | Thin skin, visible veins and tendons | Restores thickness and quality of the skin |
Technique: how Sculptra is prepared and injected
Sculptra has to be prepared correctly before injection. The powder is reconstituted with sterile water, allowed to hydrate fully and mixed to a smooth, even suspension, then diluted further to suit the area being treated. It is placed in the correct plane, usually deep, using a cannula or needle depending on the area, and spread evenly rather than left in small concentrated deposits. After treatment, gentle massage helps distribute the product.
Most Sculptra problems, particularly lumps, come from preparation and placement: product that is too concentrated, injected too superficially, or left in one spot. Dr Hasan’s protocol is designed around avoiding exactly these errors, and it is the approach he and Dr Elif teach to other doctors in their PLLA training.
Nodules and other complications: prevention and management
Sculptra is safe when used well, but it has its own risks, different from those of HA filler. The main ones are small palpable papules or nodules, delayed inflammatory reactions, asymmetry and, rarely, excessive collagen response. Unlike HA filler, Sculptra cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which makes prevention and early recognition especially important.
- careful patient selection and a full medical history before treatment
- correct reconstitution, hydration and dilution for each area
- correct depth and even distribution, avoiding high-risk areas such as the lips and the area immediately around the eyes
- a review before every further session
- a direct line to the clinic by WhatsApp or phone, and assessment by a dermatologist if anything feels different
A doctor who has performed thousands of Sculptra treatments has also seen and managed the uncommon problems, and knows how to tell a harmless papule from something that needs treatment. That experience, rather than a claim of “no complications”, is what keeps patients safe.
A conservative approach: treat, review, then decide
Because Sculptra keeps working for months, over-treating in one session can lead to unwanted volume later. Dr Hasan follows a progressive approach: a measured first session, a review four to six weeks later, and a decision about the next session based on how your skin has actually responded. Most patients need two to three sessions; some need fewer. The final result builds over around three to six months.
When Sculptra is not the right treatment
A good Sculptra doctor should be able to say “Sculptra is not right for you”. Because Dr Elif Clinic offers a wide range of injectable and energy-based treatments, we recommend what fits your face rather than one product.
| If your main concern is… | We may recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual, natural loss of volume and structure | Sculptra | Rebuilds collagen and support over months |
| A precise, immediate change in one area (lips, chin, a specific hollow) | HA filler | Instant, targeted shaping that can be adjusted or dissolved |
| Skin quality, fine crepey lines, dullness | Profhilo or polynucleotides | Skin boosters work on quality rather than structure |
| A lighter collagen stimulator, or a different PLLA | Juläine™ | Another PLLA option; the choice depends on the area and your goals |
| Loose skin and early sagging | Endolift / Endoskin®, HIFU or XERF | Tightening treatments work where volume is not the main problem |
| Marked jowls and significant tissue descent | A surgical opinion | Volume alone cannot lift heavy, descended tissue |
Many patients benefit from a combination. In Dr Hasan’s published study, patients who received laser treatment together with Sculptra were significantly more satisfied than those who received laser alone.
Results and before-and-after photos
Sculptra results should be judged at three to six months, not straight after treatment, when fullness comes from the injected fluid and swelling. When comparing before-and-after photos from any clinic, look for the same lighting, angle and expression, and for results shown months after the course, across different face types.
Who injects your Sculptra?
At Dr Elif Clinic, Sculptra is injected only by a doctor: Dr Hasan Benar, who leads the clinic’s Sculptra work, or Dr Elif Benar. Both are dermatologists, and both train other doctors in PLLA and collagen biostimulators. The same doctor reviews your face before each session and adjusts the plan to your response.
About Dr Hasan Benar
Dr Hasan Benar is a dermatologist at Dr Elif Clinic, 54 Harley Street, London, with 15 years of experience in aesthetic dermatology and more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments. He is the first author of “A new nonsurgical combination approach for skin tightening and remodeling; Endoskin – a comparative study” (Benar H, Benar EB; Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2024;23(8):2574–2580, doi:10.1111/jocd.16306), a 234-patient study of Sculptra combined with 1470 nm laser. He teaches other doctors in PLLA, collagen biostimulators and Endolift. More at drbenar.co.uk.
He works alongside Dr Elif Benar, dermatologist and founder of Dr Elif Clinic, co-author of the same study.
How to choose a Sculptra doctor in London
“Who is the best filler injector?” and “who is the best Sculptra injector?” are different questions. Sculptra is a product-specific treatment, so the most important evidence is Sculptra-specific. These are the questions we suggest asking any clinic, including ours:
| Question | Why it matters | At Dr Elif Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| How many Sculptra treatments has the doctor personally performed, and for how long? | Sculptra judgement is built case by case; filler volume is not the same thing | Dr Hasan Benar: 15 years, more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments |
| How does the doctor assess facial ageing? | Bone, fat and support changes decide where Sculptra helps and where it does not | Dermatologist-led structural assessment before every course |
| How is Sculptra prepared and injected? | Dilution, hydration, depth and distribution are the main drivers of nodule risk | Protocol taught by our doctors to other doctors |
| How are nodules and late reactions prevented and managed? | Sculptra cannot be dissolved like HA filler | Prevention-first protocol, review before each session, direct line to a dermatologist |
| Will I be over-treated in one session? | Sculptra keeps working for months | Treat, review at 4–6 weeks, then decide |
| Has the doctor published or taught on PLLA? | Research and teaching show deep product knowledge | First author of a 234-patient Sculptra study; trains doctors in PLLA |
| Will the doctor tell me if Sculptra is not right for me? | Not every face needs volume | Filler, skin boosters, Juläine™, energy-based tightening or surgical referral when better |
| Who actually injects? | Credentials matter only if that doctor treats you | Only Dr Hasan Benar or Dr Elif Benar, both dermatologists |
Sculptra price in London
Sculptra at Dr Elif Clinic costs from £1,100 per session. The number of sessions depends on your face and goals and is agreed at your consultation. See the full price list or book a consultation at 54 Harley Street.
Sculptra FAQs
Dr Hasan Benar, a dermatologist with 15 years of Sculptra experience and more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments, leads Sculptra at Dr Elif Clinic, 54 Harley Street, London. Dermatologist Dr Elif Benar also injects Sculptra.
He has used Sculptra for 15 years and has performed more than 5,000 Sculptra treatments across the temples, lateral face, preauricular area, jawline, neck, décolletage and hands.
Yes. He is first author of a 234-patient study of Sculptra combined with 1470 nm laser (Endoskin), published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2024 (doi:10.1111/jocd.16306).
Only a doctor: Dr Hasan Benar or Dr Elif Benar, both dermatologists. Sculptra is never injected by a non-doctor at the clinic.
Sculptra contains poly-L-lactic acid microparticles that stimulate your own collagen production. The improvement develops gradually over weeks and months rather than immediately.
Most patients need 2–3 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart. Each session is planned after reviewing how your skin responded to the previous one.
Early swelling settles within days. The collagen response builds over around three to six months, and results can last two years or more.
Papules or nodules are the best-known Sculptra risk. They are largely prevented by correct dilution, hydration, depth and even distribution, and an experienced doctor can recognise and manage them early.
No. Unlike hyaluronic acid filler, Sculptra cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which is why an experienced, conservative injector matters.
They do different jobs. Filler gives an immediate, precise shape; Sculptra gradually rebuilds structure and collagen. Many patients benefit from one or the other, or both in different areas.
Sculptra is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with active skin infection or inflammation at the treatment site, or in people prone to keloid or hypertrophic scarring. It is not used in the lips or directly around the eyes.
If sagging is mainly caused by lost support at the side of the face, Sculptra can help. If jowls come from significant tissue descent, energy-based tightening or a surgical opinion may be more appropriate.
From £1,100 per session. The number of sessions is agreed at your consultation.
