What is Sculptra?
Sculptra Aesthetic is a soft tissue injectable that restores volume to reduce hollows and deflated skin. Sculptra is made of micro particles of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLC), a synthetic form of lactic acid. Your body produces lactic acid after exercise, making PPLC biocompatible. This means that it won’t cause allergic reactions after it’s injected because your body recognizes it as a familiar product.
Sculptra is diluted with saline and anesthetic before it is injected into the deeper skin layers. The small PLLC particles push on cells called fibroblasts, and this pushing force stimulates them to produce collagen over the course of 4-8 weeks. Often 2-3 treatments are recommended to achieve volumization goals. Because Sculptra stimulates your body to make its own collagen, results appear very natural. Minimal side effects include bruising, pain at injection sites, and swelling and redness, which typically resolve within a few days to a week after injections.
Sculptra Aesthetic more than a filler; it’s a volumizer. Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers that provide temporary improvement in the appearance of lines and wrinkles, Sculptra is an anti-aging treatment that works to address volume loss that underlies facial aging.
Sculptra stimulates your body to synthesize collagen and gradually restores a more youthful appearance over the course of 2-4 treatments.
Facial Aging
Studies report that we lose about 1% of collagen per year after age 18. In our late 20s, collagen production begins to slow, and this changes our skin’s texture and tone, eventually leading to fine lines and wrinkles. Environmental factors like smoking, pollution, stress and sun exposure stimulate production of free radicals that damage and degrade collagen and elastin fibers faster than new collagen can be created.
Many procedures can rebuild collagen like Laser Resurfacing or Microneedling RF, but these treatments are often associated with downtime or recovery. Sculptra offers an injectable alternative to these laser and heat-based devices for collagen synthesis, unlike most other soft tissue injections that “fill” lines more immediately.
How is Sculptra used?
Sculptra applications:
- Rejuvenates the face by restoring volume, lifting the skin, and smoothing lines and creases.
- Restores volume to the cheek area, which helps elevate jowls.
- Volumizes temple hollows.
- Smooths the smile lines between the nose and the mouth (nasolabial folds).
- Redefines the jawline for a cleaner profile
- Improves the appearance of the décolleté, enhancing skin texture.
- Improves the appearance of your hands, softening protruding tendons and veins.
- Harmonizes asymmetries of the face, creating youthful balance.
What many patients like most about a series of Sculptra injections is that improvements are gradual. Small changes keep the treated areas looking natural and final results can last over two years.
All of our leading dermatologists at Moy-Fincher-Chipps are experts at assessing aging, and they look forward to offering their honest opinions about what treatment or treatments might help you achieve your appearance goals most naturally. Schedule a consultation to determine if Sculptra may be right for you.
Related Posts
Do you have lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, or skin that’s lost its volume? Are you looking for something that will make a significant difference, but provide natural-looking results? Although these concerns are often a result of the normal aging process, it doesn’t mean you have to live with them. Sculptra is a revolutionary treatment that…
Are you frustrated by stubborn fat on your chin, arms, torso, legs, or other parts of your body? Often, undesired pockets of fat are resistant to diet and exercise. But thanks to advanced fat reduction treatments, you can say goodbye to unwanted fat and embrace firmer, leaner, and younger-looking skin. Keep reading to learn how…
Do you have lines, wrinkles, or an uneven skin tone? Has acne or too much time in the sun left your face with visible scars or sun spots? You can reverse skin irregularities with fractional CO2 laser resurfacing. The state-of-the-art treatment can help your skin look more vibrant, healthier, and younger again. Keep reading to…
Remember when your mom told you, “Don’t make that face or it will stay that way?” She was right. Lines of facial expression form from repetitive facial movements like frowning or lifting our eyebrows. As we age and our skin loses elasticity, these lines can be noticeable even at rest. That’s where Botox comes in.
Hair loss can be very distressing. It’s not only a cosmetic concern; it can also chip away at your self-confidence, impacting your day-to-day life. The good news is that PRP’s latest innovations have supercharged the effectiveness of hair loss restoration solutions. Keep reading to learn how to love your hair with PRP’s latest innovations and…
Wrinkles are an inevitable part of aging. Forehead wrinkles are especially noticeable and bothersome to people. Luckily, there are several ways to both improve and prevent them. When and why do wrinkles form? As we age, there is loss of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin in the skin, which can start as early as our…