As a hybrid skin filler, this injectable treatment offers a dual benefit: it instantly adds a glow to the skin while also lifting aged skin. Editor Trudi Brewer shares the new treatment 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 skin.
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 the new skin biostimulator from the makers of JUVÉDERM. A lunchtime procedure, HArmonyCa’s a 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.”
Here 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?
This is a two-in-one injectable product containing hylauronic acid (HA) filler, which provides instant volumisation, lift, and glow, as well as a powerful bio stimulator called calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA), which stimulates our skin cells to naturally produce collagen over the next three months, resulting in firmer, healthier skin in the long term. It can address multiple signs of facial ageing in a single treatment, including dullness, dehydration, sagging, thin, crepey skin, and laxity.
Who is HArmonyCa suitable for?
Anyone aged 30 who wants to start early with prejuvenation and collagen building (aka 'collagen banking') to delay skin laxity and wrinkle formation. Also, for a lifted jawline, so the jaw and cheeks appear firmer or higher, giving a more youthful look. Or snatched, a well-defined, sculpted, sharp jawline that gives the jaw and neck a clear distinction. As well as a general skin glow, for before a special occasion or event. Or for those aged 45 and above seeking to correct skin laxity, anyone noticing mild sagging or thinning skin.
What areas of the face can be treated with HArmonyCA?
Currently in New Zealand, it is licensed for the mid and lower face, particularly in areas where skin thinning and laxity are beginning to develop. Areas specifically: the cheekbone, jawline, cheek hollowing in front of the ear, and the area near the mouth. Advanced practitioners may use this product in 'off-license' areas for more lift- it’s 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 (CaHa), 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 bio stimulator called calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) 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 (HA) 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 works over three months to stimulate 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 or meditation 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 $1895, and three syringes cost $2500.
See editor Trudi Brewer’s before and after one treatment with HArmonyCa
Here’s an expert guide, discover the benefits and results.