January 07, 2021Injection

Should you get the popular NCTF Filorga (Chanel) Injection? Here's a checklist

As the weather becomes drier during winter, more people are turning to skin booster treatments to moisturize and improve skin health. Since there are so many types of skin boosters, we're sure lots of you are wondering which skin booster will be the best fit for you. Together with Dr. Choi Bo Yoon from Dr. Skinny, we'll be looking at Filorga NCTF injection, commonly known as "Chanel injections" in Korea. Dr. Choi has been administering various types of skin boosters, and she has 7 years of experience with Chanel injection. The products that have the highest patient satisfaction are those that they end up using consistently because it is effective and has few side effects.

Lots of types of Skin Boosters

When did you first start giving Chanel injections?

Dr. Choi: I have a strict standard for the effectiveness of new injections and lasers, so I will not believe in a new treatment unless I see it with my own eyes. Chanel injection first came onto the market a long time ago. I was working at a clinic seven to eight years ago when Chanel injection was first released. I was told it was an injection that's good for the skin, but to be honest, I wasn't that interested in it. A celebrity I was in-charge of wanted to try the Chanel injection, and since I've been in charge of her for years, I know her skin condition well. Her skin was very dry and thin, and usually flaky. She had stubborn pigmentation on her cheekbones, but because she had an allergy to toning lasers, I couldn't use toning lasers for her pigmentation. She got the Chanel injection once every two weeks. I noticed a slight improvement after the 2nd injection, but from the 3rd injection onwards, I could see that her dry, rough skin had become moisturized, and the cheekbones that have not disappeared are softened. When I saw that the skin that didn't get much better with any treatment got better after Chanel injection, I memorized the effects of Chanel injections, and then I used Chanel injections a lot.

Who is the Chanel injection suitable for?

Dr. Choi: First of all, I'll explain the effects of Chanel injection: not what Filorga (the company that manufactures NCTF) claims, but rather the feedback I received from patients during my time with the treatment. Well, the effects of Chanel injections include improvements in skin dryness, moisturized skin, softened skin texture, and clearer skin tone. It's not a procedure to get rid of pigmentation, for that you'll need a pigmentation laser, but rather your skin tone becomes clearer and brighter. So if you get a Chanel injection with a pigmentation laser, the sensitive skin caused by the pigmented laser will be soothed by the ingredients in the injection, so there's a synergy in improving pigmentation. Also, makeup applies smoothly as the skin is healthy.

How is the Chanel injection injected? What if I'm afraid of needles?

Dr. Choi: Chanel injections are licensed to be injected into the dermis layer. The most effective way to improve the skin is to penetrate the dermis layer accurately, and various treatment methods are possible. There is a method to create tiny holes in the skin with a roller-type Microneedling Therapy System (MTS) with fine needles. These days, you can also use an automatic MTS machine that makes holes that are more delicate and uniform, or use Fraxel lasers.

How MTS vs Automatic MTS works

Is there anything I should be cautious of before getting a Chanel injection?

Dr. Choi: Yes, no matter how expensive or good a product is, it's not going to be suitable for everyone. Even though a product is used by many people who found it effective, you might experience skin trouble if you have an allergy to an ingredient or if the product is not suitable for you. For example, when I was young, I worked part-time and saved money to buy my mother the popular Sisley cream as a birthday present. Unfortunately, my mom had skin trouble after she applied it, so she didn't even use it twice. Skin booster injections are the same. Even though most injections are made with good ingredients, the effects can vary depending on the individual's skin type and condition. You might be thinking, wouldn't you have to try it to know if it's right for you? That's not true. Of course, I can't predict all the effects, but I think a skilled doctor should be able to tell you if the Chanel injection is recommended or not. I've recommended the injection to many patients in the beginning with no particular exceptions, but now that I've seen a lot of cases, I've been able to come up with a guideline on whether someone would be suitable for the injection.

You have a checklist for patients before giving the Chanel injection?

Dr. Choi: Yes, so I have a checklist that I always check with my patients before the Chanel injection. I'll recommend the Chanel injection or other treatments according to this checklist.

PRE-INJECTION CHECKLIST

1. Is your skin dry? Yes ( ) No ( )

The first thing to check before getting a Chanel injection is whether your skin is dry. Because the ingredients in the Chanel injection are so diverse, they have a variety of effects compared to other skin boosters, but the main effects that most notice are moisturization and skin texture improvement. That's why Chanel injection is always on my list whenever I do treatments on myself every few weeks. I've been getting it regularly for years because my skin is very dry and thin. But what if your skin isn't too dry? Check the following point!

2. Is your skin oily? Yes ( ) No ( )

The second question on the checklist is: Does your face produce a lot of sebum? There are several types of oily skin types. Do you produce a lot of oil only in your forehead and nose area or all over your face? If it's the former, you have an oily T-zone. Those with oily T-zones can have dry skin on the other areas of the face, such as the cheeks. So if your T-zone is oily and your cheeks are dry, I'd recommend you to get the Chanel injection. But if the whole face is oily, check the third point.

3. Do you get skin trouble easily? Yes ( ) No ( )

The third thing you should consider is: Do you get skin trouble easily? If you produce a lot of sebum and have a lot of skin trouble, I'd recommend the Rejuran Healer rather than Chanel injection. Do you ever get comedonal acne whenever you use skin products that contain a lot of oil? You might experience a similar situation with Chanel injection since there are various kinds of nutrients in there. In some cases, Chanel injection could actually worsen your skin and acne. This is the reason why I recommend Rejuran Healer instead if your skin is prone to acne. Of course, this is not always the case but because the possibility of that happening is higher for oily and acne-prone skin types, I recommend Rejuran Healer over Chanel injections to these people. You'll benefit a lot from Rejuran Healer if your skin is oily and prone to acne, because one of the main effects of Rejuran Healer is to regulate the balance of hydration and oiliness in your skin. Many people have noticed reduced sebum, and therefore their acne has also become more controlled. Rejuran Healer also contains regenerative ingredients, so it's also beneficial for getting rid of acne scars.

4. Is your skin often allergic/sensitive? Yes ( ) No ( )

The fourth thing to check is whether you are allergic. If your skin is sensitive to the point where you break out when you change the products you use, or if you have any kind of dermatitis such as contact dermatitis, I'd recommend the Rejuran Healer for you as well. When your skin is allergic, it means that your body's immune system has a higher chance of reacting to foreign substances that enter your body as compared to other people. In other words, you have a higher chance of having an allergic reaction to injections. The Chanel injection is composed of 50 different kinds of nutrients, so it has the advantage of giving you a more dramatic effect compared to other skin booster injections. However, it also means that it has a higher chance of causing allergic reactions to those who have allergic skin. On the other hand, Rejuran Healer is more beneficial in this case. It is only composed of one ingredient, which is polynucleotide. Polynucleotide rarely causes immune reaction, so Rejuran Healer is recommended for those of you who have allergic skin.

Lastly, you must be wondering how long the effects last and whether the effects will continue to last as you get more sessions. Dr. Choi notes that she does not feel the same effect every time she injects Chanel injection. Most of the time the effects are good, but sometimes the effects are not as significant. Since your skin condition may be different every time, the effects you feel may also differ. If your skin condition is already great, you won't feel the effects as drastically, so just keep that in mind. But during the change of seasons or when your skin is tired and dry, the results are as expected and satisfactory. About 3 days after the procedure, you'll begin to feel that your skin is softer when you wash your face. Despite your skin looking dull no matter how much foundation you apply, you'll find that makeup applies beautifully and your skin tone is brighter and clearer after the injection. But you don't have to be upset if you don't notice drastic changes after the Chanel injection. It's just like how most people see Thermage (a skin laser) as a skin insurance. It doesn't lift your face immediately, but you do it to prevent/slow down aging because of its anti-aging benefits. Skin boosters like Chanel injection are also the same. Regardless of the external effects, the skin cells become younger once again. You can think of it as a skin insurance.

Hopefully, the pre-injection checklist is helpful if you're thinking of getting the Chanel injection. We'll be exploring more content on Skin Booster injections so stay tuned!

To find out more about NCTF Filorga Injection with Dr. Choi in Korea, click here.

If you're based in Singapore, check out this video on Chanel injection here: