Collagen biostimulators
Sculptraand Radiesse.
Injectables that prompt your own collagen to rebuild over months, for people who want gradual structural change rather than an immediate fill.
At a glance
- Placed by
- Licensed RPN injector, plan signed off by our Medical Director
- Price
- from $795
- Consultation
- Free
What it is
What collagen biostimulators
actually do.
Collagen biostimulators that rebuild structure gradually rather than filling it. Sculptra and Radiesse at our Bradford, Ontario clinic.
A slower treatment, on purpose
Sculptra and Radiesse belong to a category called collagen biostimulators. Instead of adding a gel that sits where you put it, they provoke a controlled response in the tissue, and your own fibroblasts lay down collagen around the particles. The product is gradually broken down. What remains is the collagen you made.
This is a genuinely different proposition from filler, and it appeals to a specific type of person: someone who does not want to look different next Tuesday, who is uneasy about a sudden change being noticed, and who is willing to pay for something that arrives quietly.
Sculptra
Sculptra is poly-L-lactic acid, a material long used in dissolvable sutures. It is reconstituted with sterile water before treatment and injected in a diffuse pattern rather than as a targeted bolus. It works best across broad areas that have thinned overall: temples, upper cheeks, the flat plane in front of the ear, and the lower face where the skin has begun to look drapey rather than simply lined.
It is also used off the face. Sculptra will not do anything for lines caused by movement, and it is not a lip product.
Radiesse
Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite suspended in a gel carrier. It is firmer, gives some structure straight away, and holds a defined edge, which is why it is often chosen for jawline definition and for the chin. Diluted, it behaves differently again and is used more superficially to improve skin quality over an area rather than to project a feature.
Who this suits, and who it does not
It suits you if your face has lost support broadly rather than in one spot, if you have realistic patience, and if you are comfortable with a product that cannot be reversed.
It does not suit you if you want a change you can see the same week. It does not suit you if you scar poorly, form nodules easily, or have active autoimmune inflammation. And it is not the right tool for lips or for the delicate under-eye area. If those are what you came in for, we will point you to hyaluronic acid filler or polynucleotides instead.
At the appointment
Treatment areas are marked with you sitting upright. The product is injected across multiple points, often with a cannula, and the area is massaged at the end. You will look fuller when you leave than you will the following week, because the carrier fluid has not yet resorbed. We tell people this in advance so the deflation is not alarming.
Afterwards
Expect tenderness, possible bruising and some swelling. For Sculptra you will be given a home massage protocol with a specific schedule and told plainly why it matters. You will also be given a review appointment, because the decision about whether you need another vial is made by looking at your collagen response, not by a calendar.
If it is wrong for you, we say so before you book again. A nurse-practitioner-led clinic has a licence at stake. That is the whole reason we are careful - and the reason the honest answer sometimes is "not this, and not yet".
Concerns
What it treats.
Every concern below is one we would consider collagen biostimulators for. Open any of them for the honest version: what actually causes it, and what we would and would not do.
Being straight with you
When we would
tell you no.
Every clinic lists who a treatment suits. This is the other half. If any of these is you, say so at the consultation and we will talk about what else might work, or about waiting.
- You want a change you can see the same week. Collagen forms over months.
- You want a product that can be dissolved. Neither of these can be reversed.
- You form nodules easily or have a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring.
- Your goal is lips or the under-eye. These are the wrong products for both areas.
- You have active autoimmune inflammation. We will not place a stimulatory product then.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. We will map the plan out for afterwards.
Who performs it
A nurse holds
the syringe.
Every injectable in this clinic is placed by a licensed registered practical nurse - never a technician, never someone on a weekend certificate. Your treatment plan is then signed off by Alex Dinovich, FNP-PHC, our Nurse Practitioner & Medical Director, who has more than eight years in injectables, skin health and laser.
- Injected by Kaitlyn Meli, RPN · Ashley Bravo, RPN · Yuliya Leonov, RPN
- Signed off byAlex Dinovich, FNP-PHC - Nurse Practitioner & Medical Director
- Licence#13564840
- Experience8+ years in injectables, skin health and laser.
How it works
Four appointments'
worth of care.
Nothing here happens on the same visit you first walk in, unless you want it to and it is right for you. This is the order we work in.
- 01
Consult
We look at what is actually bothering you, ask what you have tried, and tell you honestly whether this is the right treatment. Costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
- 02
Plan
Your clinician maps the plan with you and agrees it before you commit to anything. The plan is signed off by our Medical Director before treatment begins.
- 03
Treatment
Your clinician carries out the plan exactly as it was agreed. You are told what is happening, where and why, before it starts - and the quoted price does not change on the chair.
- 04
Review
We see you again to check the result and adjust the plan for next time. The first appointment is the start of the plan, not the whole of it.
What it costs
Where this
treatment starts.
Sculptra and Radiesse starts at from $795. That is where it starts, not a figure everybody pays: your plan is confirmed in person before anything is booked.
The consultation is free, and the number you are given at it is the number you pay. It does not change once you are in the chair.
- ConsultationFree
- Collagen biostimulatorsfrom $795
- Dermal fillers from $600
- Morpheus8 from $499
- Skinboosters from $595
Published prices
| Area or option | Single |
|---|---|
| Radiesse | $795 |
| Sculptra, full face | $899 |
| Sculptra, Brazilian butt lift | $1,200 |
| Sculptra deposit Taken before treatment, applied to the cost | $300 |
Prices are in Canadian dollars and subject to applicable taxes. Pricing may be updated from time to time. Your booked package price is always honoured. Guide updated June 2026.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers.
What is the difference between a biostimulator and a filler?
A filler occupies space the moment it is injected; a biostimulator triggers your own collagen and the change appears gradually as that collagen forms. Sculptra is poly-L-lactic acid and works almost entirely through that collagen response. Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite and does both, giving some immediate structure plus a stimulatory effect afterwards.
How long until I see anything?
Not immediately, and that is the point of the treatment rather than a flaw in it. Any volume you see the same day is largely the carrier fluid, which resorbs. The real change builds as collagen forms. We will not give you a week count, because it varies with your age, your skin and the area treated, and we would rather set your expectation in person.
Which one is right for me, Sculptra or Radiesse?
Sculptra generally suits broad, diffuse volume loss across the mid and lower face, especially where the whole face has thinned. Radiesse is firmer and suits places where you want definition and some immediate structure, such as the jawline, and it can also be diluted and used to improve skin quality over larger areas. We decide after assessing you, not from a preference.
Can biostimulators be dissolved?
No. Neither Sculptra nor Radiesse can be dissolved the way hyaluronic acid filler can, which is exactly why we are more conservative with them. Being unable to reverse a product changes how much you should place, how you should place it, and who should be placing it. If you want reversibility, hyaluronic acid filler is the right choice and we will say so.
Do I need more than one session?
Usually yes, and that is planned from the start rather than sold to you later. Biostimulators are dosed as a course because collagen accumulates. We will map out what we think the full plan looks like and what it will cost before you commit to the first vial.
Is there anyone you would not treat?
Yes. We avoid biostimulators in anyone with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring, active autoimmune inflammation, or a tendency to form nodules, and we do not treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding. We are also cautious around the lips and the under-eye, where these products are not appropriate.
Do I have to massage afterwards?
For Sculptra, yes, and it matters. You will be given a specific massage routine to follow at home for a defined period, and following it reduces the risk of nodules forming. Radiesse has different aftercare. You will leave with written instructions rather than a verbal summary you have to remember.
I already have filler. Can I switch to this?
Often yes, and it is a common move for people who have been building filler for years and want a different approach. Our booking system lists a filler-to-Sculptra upgrade at $200 if you are converting a booked filler appointment. We will still assess whether switching is actually the right call for your face before doing it.
Related treatments
Often considered
alongside.
If this is not the whole answer for your face, one of these usually is. Every one of them is planned by the same nurses, in the same room.
Come and see us
Get the real
number first.
The consultation is free, takes one appointment, and ends with a written plan and a price - whether or not you go ahead. If a form is not your thing, text us instead and a real person will answer.
- Clinic444 Holland St W, Unit #2
Bradford, ON L3Z 0G1 - Phone647-333-6805
- HoursMon, Tue, Thu 9am-7pm
Wed 9am-5pm
Fri, Sat 9am-4pm
Sun Closed