If you follow K-beauty trends like we do, you’ve probably seen creators and skin-care obsessives flying to Seoul for glow-inducing treatments. Over the years we’ve watched Korean beauty introduce innovations like skin boosters, Korean Botox and even salmon sperm facials. The latest treatment making waves online and off is Ultracol, a collagen-stimulating injectable that isn’t FDA-approved in the U.S. yet but is already building a serious fanbase.
How It Works
Developed by Korean company Ultra V, Ultracol is being marketed as the world’s first PDO microsphere filler. You may already be familiar with PDO threads, the dissolvable sutures used in nonsurgical lifting procedures. Ultracol uses that same material, polydioxanone (PDO), but in powdered form that can be injected deep into the skin.
“PDO threads have been around a long time,” explains New York plastic surgeon Michael Kane, MD. “Ultracol is different because it is PDO in powder form. You reconstitute it with water or saline and inject it like Sculptra.”
Just like other injectable biostimulators, Ultracol doesn’t add instant volume. Instead, it works gradually by triggering your body to produce more collagen. According to Dr. Kane, PDO and PLLA (the main ingredient in Sculptra) are different materials but act similarly by stimulating collagen production. What makes it stand out is that it targets both type I and type III collagen, while most common options in the U.S. are more focused on type I.
Beauty creator Amy Chang (@amychang) recently shared her firsthand experience after traveling to Korea for the treatment. “It gives this lifted, radiant, super smooth effect. I had it under my eyes, in my temples, cheeks, laugh lines and a little around the chin. It’s been five or six weeks and I already see such a difference.”
Is It Coming to the U.S.?
Ultracol is already available in Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and select countries in Europe. Although it hasn’t been approved in the U.S. yet, the buzz is building. Dr. Kane says the growing noise is no accident. “The word is this company is looking for distributors or partners and so they’re trying to make a lot of noise,” he says.
For some fans, it can’t come soon enough. As Chang puts it, “Come on FDA, we need Korean sunscreens and we need Ultracol.”
