Wrinkles, age spots, sagging skin, sunken foreheads and temples: If you have noticed any of these signs on your face, you have spotted signs of ageing. 

Regular exercise, adequate rest and eating healthily can all play a part in helping you look and feel great. But if you want to give your visage a little perk-me-up – without any permanent changes to your facial structure – a non-invasive collagen-boosting treatment could be the way to go.

“After 30 years old, we start to lose about 1 to 2 per cent of our skin’s collagen and the effects are significant around our face,” says Dr Wong Chu Hui, an aesthetic doctor at The Artisan Clinic. “The rate of collagen synthesis in our body decreases with age, so by increasing the rate, we can rejuvenate the skin, making it younger and healthier-looking.”  

According to Dr Wong, who has a special interest in preventive treatments, many of her patients, especially the younger ones in their 20s and who are new to aesthetic treatments, prefer procedures that can subtly slow down ageing. 

They are after “tweakments” – a little enhancement, rather than an alteration, she adds.

“While some existing hyaluronic acid skin-booster fillers have a regenerative impact on collagen in the skin, their main purpose would primarily be for hydrating the skin,” notes Dr Wong. “For patients who are looking for an overall facial skin rejuvenation and anti-ageing effect, I usually recommend a treatment called Gouri.”  

How Gouri helps with collagen replenishing

Gouri is a liquid-type PCL (polycaprolactone) injectable and is specifically injected into layers of the skin to stimulate collagen production. 

PCL is a well-known, biocompatible, biodegradable liquid medical polymer. It stimulates your skin cells to create your own Type-I collagen which is the most abundant collagen in the human body and helps to preserve the collagen levels in your skin, hair and nails.

After PCL is absorbed by the body and has done its job, it is broken down into carbon dioxide and water and passed out naturally, says Dr Wong. 

The Gouri treatment has a recommended protocol of 10 injection points – areas above your eyebrows, around the outer corner of your eyes, and three points on the cheeks – to ensure collagen production on the entire face.  

Since the Gouri treatment contains 21 per cent PCL and 79 per cent water and it does not contain any additional particles or proteins which might impede its solubility in water, it will be evenly distributed and absorbed into your skin cells. 

As it spreads out easily and regenerates collagen at a wider surface area than the injection points, the treatment will give your face a thorough rejuvenating and lifting effect.

“This is different from hyaluronic acid fillers, polynucleotide or other PCL injectables which usually come in gel or paste forms,” says Dr Wong. “Being in a liquid state allows it to be injected more easily, resulting in a more comfortable experience for the patients.”

As Gouri is not a filler, it will not cause an overly plumped-up appearance, says Dr Wong.