Is it okay to go to work the day after the treatment?

Yes, you can usually return to your daily routine the very next day. Any mild swelling or redness right after the procedure will typically subside within 1 to 2 days, and you won't have any major issues with sitting or walking. However, we kindly ask that you avoid strenuous exercise, saunas, and drinking alcohol for about a week.

Is it really not possible to finish it in just one session?

While injecting a large volume at once might seem like a quick fix, assessing your skin's natural collagen production at each session to determine the amount is what ultimately creates a natural look. Typically, the standard approach is to distribute the treatment over two to three sessions spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart. Being too ambitious with the volume in a single session can lead to overcorrection 4 to 6 weeks later, resulting in an unnatural appearance.

How painful is the procedure?

Before the procedure, we apply a numbing cream and local anesthesia, then gently administer the formula using a blunt-tip cannula. You will only feel a slight pinching sensation. For a few days after the treatment, you might feel a mild, heavy sensation when sitting down, but it won't interfere with your daily life. By starting with a smaller amount during your first session and dividing the treatment into two or three visits, we can make the experience much more comfortable and stress-free for you.

Hongdae Beauty Doctor Beauty Stone Clinic

To Fill Hip Dips and Make Your Legs Look Longer, Start with a Small Amount First

While checking your profile in the mirror, you might notice a slight indentation on the sides of your hips. If you search about it, you will often see the term "hip dip Sculptra." Many people visit us asking, "Can't we just fill it all in one go?" However, filling hip dips actually shouldn't start with a large amount of product. Starting small and spreading the treatment over two to three sessions will yield the most natural-looking results.

Many people visit our clinic seeking the leg-lengthening effect of this procedure. But even that effect ultimately depends more on "how you shape the line" than "how much you inject." This is the very first detail I want to point out to those who are researching this for the first time.

Why Do Hip Dips Occur?

The slight indentation on the side of the hip is a natural depression between the iliac crest and the greater trochanter of the femur. Anatomically, this is called a ※ Trochanteric Depression. As the lower ridge of the iliac crest curves inward and then curves back out at the outer projection of the thigh bone, the space in between appears as a dip.

* Trochanteric Depression: A natural side depression that forms between the lower iliac crest and the outer greater trochanter of the femur. It is commonly referred to as a "hip dip."

The important point here is that skeletal structure plays a major role. While the distribution of muscle and fat has an influence, this is an area that is very difficult to fill completely through exercise alone. It is a normal anatomical structure that everyone has to some degree; only the level of prominence varies from person to person. Therefore, expressions like "having hip dips is abnormal" are inaccurate.

Why Does Filling Them Make Legs Look Longer?

When hip dips are filled, the side profile from the pelvis to the thighs flows smoothly and seamlessly. This visually creates the impression that the starting point of the legs is higher up, making the legs look longer even at the same height. It doesn't simply make the hips look larger; it is closer to the feeling of a refined, streamlined silhouette.

When looking at your profile, the continuous line from the pelvis to the thighs is uninterrupted, which makes your overall proportions look taller. Many of our clients mention that their clothes fit completely differently. Therefore, the continuity of the side profile is much more crucial than the actual physical length of the legs.

Why Sculptra, and Why Start with a Small Amount?

For areas like hip dips that require filling a large volume, using external implants or injecting a large amount of instant filler all at once can easily lead to an unnatural shape. This is why we often use skin boosters that stimulate your body's own collagen production, such as Sculptra containing ※ PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid). This method allows your body's own collagen to gradually build up over time to fill in the contour lines.

* PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid): A lactic acid-based ingredient that helps stimulate collagen production deep within the skin. Over time, it biodegrades into water and carbon dioxide, a process during which it induces natural collagen synthesis.

However, there is a catch. You will barely see any visible change immediately after the procedure, as it usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks for collagen to start building up. Because you cannot see the immediate results, it is easy to ask for "more product," but if you inject too much, it can lead to overcorrection and look highly unnatural in 4 to 6 weeks once the collagen fully volumes up. In my clinical experience, I highly recommend starting more conservatively than the standard dose in the first session, and then touch up after evaluating the progress.

Session	Timeline	Typical Progression
1st Session	Right after procedure	Slight volume swelling, subsides within days
2–3 weeks later	Collagen starts building up	Side profile becomes smoother
2nd Session	3–4 weeks after 1st session	Touch-up in areas that need more volume
3rd Session	3–4 weeks after 2nd session	Final refined touch-up, complete line
1.5 years or more	Maintenance	Your own natural collagen sustains the volume

Another reason for dividing the treatment into multiple sessions is to gauge the precise volume needed. Rather than deciding on a fixed amount from the very beginning, evaluating how the collagen builds up naturally and adding volume only where it is lacking results in far more natural lines.

What is Daily Life Like After the Procedure?

First-time clients most frequently ask about pain and returning to their daily routines. Before the treatment, we apply a numbing cream and local anesthesia, and then we inject the product using a blunt cannula. This minimizes bruising and swelling, making it feel like just a mild pinching sensation.

There might be slight swelling right after the session, but this typically goes down in 1 to 2 days. You will have no problem returning to work or your normal daily activities starting the next day. You might feel a slight heavy sensation for a few days when sitting or walking, but it is not enough to interfere with your daily routine.

For 5 days starting the day after your procedure, we recommend gently massaging the treated area 5 times a day for 5 minutes. This step helps the product distribute evenly. However, please avoid saunas, hot baths, intense workouts, and drinking alcohol for about a week. This is to minimize irritation in the area where the collagen is settling in.

Hip dips are an anatomical region that is difficult to fill through exercise alone. While a filling procedure is indeed an excellent solution, trying to inject too much out of safe ambition right from the start can lead to an awkward look. Starting with a smaller amount, observing how the natural volume develops, and building it up in subsequent sessions will ultimately give you the most elegant leg silhouette. In the cases I have reviewed alongside Dr. Wi Young-jin, patients who started conservatively in their first session always achieved the smoothest, most seamless final lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is it okay to go to work the next day?

Yes, you can absolutely return to your normal routine the next day. Any slight swelling or redness right after the procedure will subside within 1 to 2 days. It will not cause any major issues when sitting or walking. However, we recommend avoiding strenuous exercise, saunas, and alcohol for about a week.

Q. Can we really not finish it all in just one session?

While injecting a large volume might seem like it finishes everything in one go, observing the natural texture as your skin generates its own collagen and adjusting the volume in subsequent sessions leads to a far more natural result. Taking two to three sessions spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart is the standard process. Rushing to put in too much at once can result in overcorrection and an unnatural look 4 to 6 weeks down the road.

Q. How painful is it?

After applying numbing cream and local anesthesia, we inject the product using a blunt cannula, reducing the sensation to just a mild pinch. You may feel a slightly heavy sensation when sitting down for a few days after the procedure, but it won't impact your daily activities. Dividing the treatment into two or three sessions with a smaller initial dosage also reduces the physical burden of receiving it all at once.

To Fill Hip Dips and Make Your Legs Look Longer, Start with a Small Amount First

While checking your profile in the mirror, you might notice a slight indentation on the sides of your hips. If you search about it, you will often see the term "hip dip Sculptra." Many people visit us asking, "Can't we just fill it all in one go?" However, filling hip dips actually shouldn't start with a large amount of product. Starting small and spreading the treatment over two to three sessions will yield the most natural-looking results.

Many people visit our clinic seeking the leg-lengthening effect of this procedure. But even that effect ultimately depends more on "how you shape the line" than "how much you inject." This is the very first detail I want to point out to those who are researching this for the first time.

Why Do Hip Dips Occur?

The slight indentation on the side of the hip is a natural depression between the iliac crest and the greater trochanter of the femur. Anatomically, this is called a ※ Trochanteric Depression. As the lower ridge of the iliac crest curves inward and then curves back out at the outer projection of the thigh bone, the space in between appears as a dip.

* Trochanteric Depression: A natural side depression that forms between the lower iliac crest and the outer greater trochanter of the femur. It is commonly referred to as a "hip dip."

The important point here is that skeletal structure plays a major role. While the distribution of muscle and fat has an influence, this is an area that is very difficult to fill completely through exercise alone. It is a normal anatomical structure that everyone has to some degree; only the level of prominence varies from person to person. Therefore, expressions like "having hip dips is abnormal" are inaccurate.

Why Does Filling Them Make Legs Look Longer?

When hip dips are filled, the side profile from the pelvis to the thighs flows smoothly and seamlessly. This visually creates the impression that the starting point of the legs is higher up, making the legs look longer even at the same height. It doesn't simply make the hips look larger; it is closer to the feeling of a refined, streamlined silhouette.

When looking at your profile, the continuous line from the pelvis to the thighs is uninterrupted, which makes your overall proportions look taller. Many of our clients mention that their clothes fit completely differently. Therefore, the continuity of the side profile is much more crucial than the actual physical length of the legs.

Why Sculptra, and Why Start with a Small Amount?

For areas like hip dips that require filling a large volume, using external implants or injecting a large amount of instant filler all at once can easily lead to an unnatural shape. This is why we often use skin boosters that stimulate your body's own collagen production, such as Sculptra containing ※ PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid). This method allows your body's own collagen to gradually build up over time to fill in the contour lines.

* PLLA (Poly-L-Lactic Acid): A lactic acid-based ingredient that helps stimulate collagen production deep within the skin. Over time, it biodegrades into water and carbon dioxide, a process during which it induces natural collagen synthesis.

However, there is a catch. You will barely see any visible change immediately after the procedure, as it usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks for collagen to start building up. Because you cannot see the immediate results, it is easy to ask for "more product," but if you inject too much, it can lead to overcorrection and look highly unnatural in 4 to 6 weeks once the collagen fully volumes up. In my clinical experience, I highly recommend starting more conservatively than the standard dose in the first session, and then touch up after evaluating the progress.

Session	Timeline	Typical Progression
1st Session	Right after procedure	Slight volume swelling, subsides within days
2–3 weeks later	Collagen starts building up	Side profile becomes smoother
2nd Session	3–4 weeks after 1st session	Touch-up in areas that need more volume
3rd Session	3–4 weeks after 2nd session	Final refined touch-up, complete line
1.5 years or more	Maintenance	Your own natural collagen sustains the volume

Another reason for dividing the treatment into multiple sessions is to gauge the precise volume needed. Rather than deciding on a fixed amount from the very beginning, evaluating how the collagen builds up naturally and adding volume only where it is lacking results in far more natural lines.

What is Daily Life Like After the Procedure?

First-time clients most frequently ask about pain and returning to their daily routines. Before the treatment, we apply a numbing cream and local anesthesia, and then we inject the product using a blunt cannula. This minimizes bruising and swelling, making it feel like just a mild pinching sensation.

There might be slight swelling right after the session, but this typically goes down in 1 to 2 days. You will have no problem returning to work or your normal daily activities starting the next day. You might feel a slight heavy sensation for a few days when sitting or walking, but it is not enough to interfere with your daily routine.

For 5 days starting the day after your procedure, we recommend gently massaging the treated area 5 times a day for 5 minutes. This step helps the product distribute evenly. However, please avoid saunas, hot baths, intense workouts, and drinking alcohol for about a week. This is to minimize irritation in the area where the collagen is settling in.

Hip dips are an anatomical region that is difficult to fill through exercise alone. While a filling procedure is indeed an excellent solution, trying to inject too much out of safe ambition right from the start can lead to an awkward look. Starting with a smaller amount, observing how the natural volume develops, and building it up in subsequent sessions will ultimately give you the most elegant leg silhouette. In the cases I have reviewed alongside Dr. Wi Young-jin, patients who started conservatively in their first session always achieved the smoothest, most seamless final lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is it okay to go to work the next day?

Yes, you can absolutely return to your normal routine the next day. Any slight swelling or redness right after the procedure will subside within 1 to 2 days. It will not cause any major issues when sitting or walking. However, we recommend avoiding strenuous exercise, saunas, and alcohol for about a week.

Q. Can we really not finish it all in just one session?

While injecting a large volume might seem like it finishes everything in one go, observing the natural texture as your skin generates its own collagen and adjusting the volume in subsequent sessions leads to a far more natural result. Taking two to three sessions spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart is the standard process. Rushing to put in too much at once can result in overcorrection and an unnatural look 4 to 6 weeks down the road.

Q. How painful is it?

After applying numbing cream and local anesthesia, we inject the product using a blunt cannula, reducing the sensation to just a mild pinch. You may feel a slightly heavy sensation when sitting down for a few days after the procedure, but it won't impact your daily activities. Dividing the treatment into two or three sessions with a smaller initial dosage also reduces the physical burden of receiving it all at once.