As a hybrid skin filler, this injectable treatment offers a dual benefit: it instantly adds a glow to the skin while also plumping and lifting. Editor Trudi Brewer shares the new HArmonyCa, along with expert advice from Dr Rachel Lee, one of Auckland's leading appearance medicine doctors.
Here is everything you need to know about the latest biostimulator for your face.
Editor Trudi Brewer before and after HArmonyCa and the left side only treated
Dr Rachel Lee is up to date on the latest cosmetic medicine advice and is at the top of her game, including proficiency in treating skin with this new biostimulator from the makers of JUVÉDERM.
A lunchtime procedure, HArmonyCa’s is quick, and the results, while instant, improve over time. According to Dr Rachel Lee, “You will walk away with a refreshed, lifted appearance that over time, will result in stronger, firmer, tighter, and, most importantly, healthier skin.”
Below she shares how this new treatment can redefine and benefit the skin as we age.
Dr Rachel Lee from La Pelle Skin Clinic on Auckland’s Karangahape Road
Q&A with Dr Rachel Lee
What is HArmonyCa, and why was it created?
HArmonyCa is a dual-action hybrid skin injectable that combines hyaluronic acid (HA) for an immediate lifting and volumising effect, and calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHa), to stimulate your body's natural collagen production.
Who is HArmonyCa suitable for?
It was created for anyone who wants to start early treatments for prejuvenation and collagen building (aka 'collagen banking') to delay skin laxity and wrinkle formation. Or for anyone wanting a lifted facial profile, so the jaw and cheeks appear firmer or higher, adding a more youthful appearance. Or a snatched, well-defined, sculpted, sharp jawline that gives the jaw and neck a clear distinction. Also great for a general skin glow, especially before a special occasion or event. For those aged 45 plus seeking to correct skin laxity and mild volume loss, and for anyone noticing mild sagging or thinning skin.
HarmonyCa is also particularly good for those who have lost a lot of weight due to stress, weight-loss medication, or bariatric surgery, which can often result in sunken, flat cheeks and lax-looking skin.
Ideally, this treatment is done early in your weight-loss journey, as a preventive measure to support your skin structure and fat pads, before the changes that can occur later, which can be more challenging to correct.
Another advantage of HAmonyCa is that it stimulates your own skin cells to produce collagen, a naturally occurring process. You will always look completely natural, just a fresher, healthier, and more youthful version of yourself.
What areas of the face can be treated with HArmonyCA?
Currently in New Zealand, it’s licensed for the mid and lower face, particularly in areas where mild volume deficiency and skin laxity are beginning to appear. Specifically, the cheekbone, jawline, cheek hollowing in front of the ear, and the area near the mouth. Advanced practitioners may use this product 'off-license' in other areas to achieve additional lifting; it’s always best to discuss this with your treating practitioner.
How does it differ from other skin fillers?
Traditional fillers focus on volumising areas of the face that have lost fullness. HArmonyCA is a two-in-one injectable product containing the powerful biostimulator calcium hydroxyapatite, which stimulates our skin cells to produce more collagen over the next three months, in addition to the instant volumisation and glow from the skin-filler hyaluronic acid. Essentially, it can address multiple signs of facial ageing in one treatment.
How does it work once injected into the skin?
The biostimulator called calcium hydroxyapatite is a tiny calcium particle, which is a naturally occurring mineral in our body, that, once injected in a very specific layer just under the skin, is suspended within this layer and acts as a scaffold for your skin cells, or fibroblasts, to latch onto and start producing collagen. Therefore, it provides both structure and biostimulation.
The other half of the product is hyaluronic acid, a filler, which draws water into the skin, giving it a lovely plumpness and an instant glow. The two components within this product work in harmony, while the HA filler gives instant glow, plumpness, and some lift. At the same time, the biostimulator (CaHa) works over three months to activate collagen production, ultimately resulting in stronger, healthier, more volumised, and lifted skin.
What results can you expect to see?
Instant glow and some visible lifting immediately from the HA. Over time, stronger, firmer, tighter, and, most importantly, healthier skin from the CaHa.
How about comfort and recovery?
Treatment is delivered via a cannula (a blunt-tipped, flexible, hollow tube used in medical and cosmetic procedures). It can be a bit stingy during injection, but the product contains a local anaesthetic, which makes the treatment comfortable. In addition, at our clinic, we offer local anaesthesia at the injection sites, as well as laughing gas and medication to help with pain and anxiety.
How long does HArmonyCA last?
Between 12 and 18 months, it could be longer in younger people. It will last longer when combined with other corrective and complementary treatments, such as fillers, lasers, or microfocused ultrasound. I will often combine this treatment with other bistimulators or fillers (where required) and lasers to achieve the best results.
How much does HArmonyCa cost in New Zealand?
This treatment is sold by syringes, depending on how much product the face needs. One syringe is $950, two syringes cost $1800, and three syringes cost $2500. Most patients will need two syringes for the first treatment and one syringe for a year-later top-up. Patients with significant volume deficiency or laxity will need three syringes - this is a good value considering that the results keep getting better over time, and it only needs to be repeated once every 12 to 18 months.
See editor Trudi Brewer’s before and after one treatment with HArmonyCa
That can last up to six months.