PLLA treatment in London
Juläine, a PLLA injectable, costs £950 to £1,495 a session at London clinics that publish a price.
Juläine London explains PLLA treatment in London, poly-L-lactic acid injected to build collagen over months, and connects you with the doctor-led practices at UNTIL Marylebone that give Juläine, a PLLA injectable.
The short answer
What is PLLA?
PLLA, short for poly-L-lactic acid, is a biodegradable polymer that the body breaks down slowly. Medicine has used it for decades, including in dissolving stitches. In aesthetics it is injected as microscopic particles that prompt the skin to build collagen, so the result arrives over months. Juläine and Sculptra are two PLLA injectables sold in London; both come as a powder mixed with sterile water before injection.
Two doctor-led practices at UNTIL Marylebone give Juläine. Juläine vs Sculptra compares the two products, and an enquiry reaches a doctor through UNTIL Health Concierge.
PLLA treatment at a glance
- MaterialPoly-L-lactic acid
- Juläine session30 to 60 minutes
- CourseUp to 3 sessions
- Results showOver 2 to 3 months
- AftercareMassage the area
- Juläine in London£950 to £1,495 a session
- WhereUNTIL Marylebone
How poly-L-lactic acid builds collagen
Placed in the deep layer of the skin, PLLA particles set off a controlled foreign-body response: immune cells gather around them and call in fibroblasts, which lay down new type I and type III collagen. A 2024 systematic review describes this process and also notes that most of the evidence behind it is of low quality. One review reports more type I collagen at three and six months. The PLLA itself is then broken down over many months, leaving your own collagen behind.
That is why PLLA treatment is a course: each session adds a little, and the result is judged at two to three months. How the powder is mixed matters, since early PLLA treatments mixed with only 3 to 4 mL of water were linked to lumps.
Poly-L-lactic acid injections
A PLLA session starts with the powder mixed in sterile water; Juläine's instructions add a two-hour stand, while Sculptra's UK instructions recommend using it straight away. The doctor places small amounts in the deep layer of the skin with a fine needle or a blunt cannula and massages the area; a Juläine session at UNTIL Marylebone takes 30 to 60 minutes. Juläine injections in London walks through the appointment step by step.
PLLA filler and hyaluronic acid filler
PLLA is often called a filler, and Sculptra's instructions describe increasing the volume of depressed areas. It behaves differently from a hyaluronic acid filler, which adds a gel you see on the day, holds its shape for around 9 to 18 months and can be dissolved with an enzyme. PLLA gives a little fullness on the day from the water it is mixed with, which fades within about three to seven days; the lasting change then builds from new collagen over months.
So the two answer different needs. A hyaluronic acid filler suits a precise change in one spot that you want to see straight away. PLLA suits gradual firmness across an area, for people prepared to wait, such as deepening nasolabial folds or hollow cheeks.
PLLA before and after
Before and after PLLA treatment, the honest comparison is months apart, in the same light.
- The first week: fullness from the mixing water and some swelling, gone within about three to seven days. It is not the result.
- From four weeks: the earliest point Juläine's maker evaluates a result, and when a further session is often planned.
- Two to three months: new collagen shows as firmer skin and softer folds. Studies report more type I collagen at three and six months.
- Twelve months on: Juläine's maker gives a lifetime of 12 to 18 months and suggests a review at 12 months; Galderma says Sculptra can last up to two years.
Ask a clinic to show you its own before-and-after photographs taken in matching light, and take yours before the first session. Juläine results month by month has the detail for Juläine.
Poly-L-lactic acid side effects
In the first week
Bruising, swelling, redness, tenderness and itching at the injection points, which Sculptra's instructions say usually resolve within a week and Juläine's within a few days.
Nodules and granulomas
Small lumps under the skin are the side effect PLLA is known for. They can appear weeks to more than a year after treatment, and reported rates vary widely: 8.5% of 130 people in one study, 17.2% of people treated with Sculptra against 12.8% in a comparison group in its US pivotal study, and granulomatous reactions from 0.1% to 12% across published reports. Juläine's maker publishes no rate. Mixing, depth, dose and massage all play a part, so ask the doctor how they would manage a lump.
Who should avoid PLLA
Juläine's instructions rule it out for anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, and for anyone with skin disease or infection in the area, an allergy to its ingredients, a bleeding disorder or blood thinner, a history of keloid scars or an immune deficiency. Injections near blood vessels carry a very rare risk of blocking one.
PLLA treatment at UNTIL Marylebone
Two doctor-led practices at UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, a 4-minute walk from Marble Arch station, give Juläine, and a nurse-led practice in the same club publishes Sculptra. London clinics charge £950 to £1,495 for a Juläine session and £2,350 to £4,955 for a course of three, checked on 13 October 2026. Juläine prices in London lists the figures, and the enquiry form reaches a doctor through UNTIL Health Concierge.
FAQ
PLLA treatment:
common questions answered
Is PLLA the same as Sculptra?
Sculptra is one brand of PLLA, made by a Galderma company; Juläine, made by Nordberg Medical, is another. Both are poly-L-lactic acid powders mixed with water and injected to build collagen, but their particles, courses and aftercare differ. Juläine London connects you with doctors at UNTIL Marylebone who give Juläine.
How long does PLLA take to work?
Expect little on the day beyond swelling, which fades within a week. Juläine’s maker evaluates results no sooner than four weeks, and the change becomes clear at two to three months as new collagen forms. Juläine London suggests judging your course at three months against photographs taken before you started.
How long does PLLA last?
It depends on the product. Juläine’s maker gives a lifetime of 12 to 18 months and Galderma says Sculptra can last up to two years. Age, sun exposure and smoking all shorten it. Juläine London quotes each maker’s own figure, not the longer claims some clinics make.
Who should not have PLLA?
Juläine’s maker rules it out for anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, and for anyone with skin disease or infection in the area, an allergy to its ingredients, a bleeding disorder or blood thinner, keloid scarring or an immune deficiency. Juläine London passes nothing clinical on; the doctor asks in person.
Can PLLA be injected into the lips?
Not Juläine: its maker’s instructions say it should not be injected into the lip. PLLA builds structure slowly across an area, while lips are usually treated with hyaluronic acid filler, which can be shaped and dissolved. Juläine London suggests asking the doctor at your assessment which treatment suits the lips.
Related Treatments
Get Started
Ask about Juläine first,
then see a doctor at UNTIL Marylebone.
Juläine London • UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ
Arrange an assessmentYour enquiry reaches UNTIL Health Concierge, who book you in with a doctor at UNTIL Marylebone for an assessment. The doctor tells you whether Juläine suits you, and what the course costs, before anything is booked.