Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 3 min read
Published 13 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable synthetic polyester used in aesthetic medicine as smooth microspheres, roughly 25 to 50 µm across, suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose gel carrier. PCL is the material in Ellansé. The gel gives volume on the day; the collagen the skin builds around the microspheres is what remains as the gel is absorbed. Neither the gel nor the PCL can be dissolved, so assessment, including ultrasound of earlier injections, comes first.
Key facts
Material
About 30% PCL microspheres of roughly 25–50 µm in about 70% CMC gel
Product
Ellansé (Sinclair)
Mechanism
Gel gives early correction; collagen then forms around the microspheres as the gel is absorbed
Dissolvable?
No. Hyaluronidase has no action on polycaprolactone or on the CMC carrier
Where it fits
PCL sits between the three collagen biostimulators Dr Sin Yong uses: it gives more volume on the day than PLLA and lasts longer than most hyaluronic acid fillers, which is also why its complications are harder to undo. The Ellansé page sets out where he places it and where he does not. Because nothing in it dissolves, a nodule or over-stimulated area is mapped with ultrasound first; the difference between a PCL nodule and a migrated PLLA deposit is explained on Ellansé nodules vs Sculptra migration, and the Time Freeze Laser LCLR® is built to target the over-stimulated tissue and take away the excess. What a nodule is, and how the kinds differ, is under filler nodule. For nose refinement Dr Sin Yong usually chooses CaHA or PCL rather than a hyaluronic acid-only product.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Both are biodegradable polymers that prompt collagen, but PCL is a polyester supplied as smooth microspheres in a gel that fills on the day, while PLLA is a powder reconstituted into a dilute suspension that adds little volume at injection.
No. Hyaluronidase acts only on hyaluronic acid and does nothing to polycaprolactone or its CMC carrier. That is why ultrasound assessment of earlier injections comes before any further placement.
References
Wollina U, Goldman A. Spontaneous and induced degradation of dermal fillers: a review. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2024;17(4):273-281. doi:10.4103/JCAS.JCAS_137_23. source
Lemperle G, Gauthier-Hazan N. Foreign body granulomas after all injectable dermal fillers: part 2. Treatment options. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009;123(6):1864-1873. doi:10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181858f4f. source
