Sculptra an injectable made of poly-L-lactic acid does not contain any human DNA or animal products. It is designed for men and women who are feeling discouraged by hollowing of their cheeks and temples due to loss of facial volume.
Once you have lost facial volume, the plump, wrinkle-free, and tight skin that you associate with youth is progressively lost. Unfortunately, these gravitational changes and facial fat atrophy extend to your sagging neck, jawline, and wrinkled chest.
Botox Vs. Sculptra
Botox has the ability to reduce wrinkles by inhibiting muscle action but should not be confused with injectables that restore facial volume.
Volume replacement either with fat grafts obtained from your own body or injectable dermal fillers are solutions to age related volume loss. These procedures have the ability to take years off your face while allowing you to maintain a natural and familiar look.
Sculptra and Fillers Are Different
Each one of the dermal fillers either Juvederm , Restylane, or Belotero have particular properties that address specific areas of the face. Sculptra unlike these dermal fillers is really not a “filler” like the hyaluronic acid gels like Juverderm or Restylane.
Rather it contains tiny particles that stimulate your own collagen to be deposited in a layer beneath the dermis. Therefore, unlike dermal fillers that give you immediate gratification in terms of replacing facial volume Sculptra takes weeks before your enhanced facial volume is evident.
Why an injectable that takes weeks to see the benefits versus an injectable that shows me the benefits right away?
The reason is that in the lower face, overlying the cheek fat pad, injections with hyaluronic acid gels like Juvederm cannot be smoothly distributed because these gels are much more cohesive.
Therefore if the practitioner tries to massage the hyaluronic gel over these areas they will distribute evenly and some lumpiness will occur especially if there is no hard bony prominence beneath the injected area.
Sculptra on the other hand comes in powder form (it is not a gel) and must be mixed with water. It is much more fluid and therefore can be injected and massaged into broad facial regions where little underlying bone is present. This allows a smoother distribution of the Sculptra particles (poly-lactic acid) and provides a smoother more natural contour. However, Dr .Kopelman uses Sculptra in specific areas of the face and combines hyaluronic gels like Juvederm and Restylane products in other areas where they are superior injectable products to Sculptra
Where Is Sculptra Most Effectively Used?
Sculptra has been found not only to improve facial volume in the following areas but also seems to have a beneficial effect on improving the texture of overlying skin.
- Hollow Cheeks
- Softening Cheekbones
- Defining Jawlines
- Wrinkled decolletage (lower neck-upper chest)
- Hollow Temples
- Adding Volume to a Flat Buttock
Back in 2009 Sculptra injections gained their FDA approval. Which allowed the use of Sculptra for cosmetic purposes in the USA. Sculptra is being used in more than 20 countries around the world.
Is Sculptra Safe?
Sculptra injections originated in Europe in 1999 and were later reformulated in 2002 to meet the safety guidelines. Since then, they have been tweaked here and there; to formulate a safe and effective solution. Dr Kopelman has also modified the dilution of Sculptra to make the injections safer. Originally the dilution of Sculptra that was recommended by the manufacturer was too concentrated and produced subcutaneous bumps and nodules.
This problem has been rectified by diluting the poly-L-lactic acid to a greater extent which allows a wider distribution of the suspended particles. Dr. Kopelman also avoids injecting Sculptra in areas where there is significant muscle contraction particularly in lines around your mouth or eyelids.
How Long Will it Last?
These treatments have the ability to last for approximately two years and the benficial effect may dissipate slowly over time. Some patients have even longer benefits from Sculptra. However, each patient is different; it might require a followup treatment after a year. Dr. Kopelman is conservative about the quantity he injects and will only use the minimum amount that will achieve your aesthetic goal. As you do not want to go from 0 to 100 in a short period of time therefore maintenance injections after one year may be required.
How Are Sculptra Treatments Performed?
Dr. Kopelman will cleanse your skin with alcohol and anesthetize your skin with topical lidocaine ointment. He will then supplement the topical anesthetic with an injection of lidocaine. Sculptra will then be injected with a blunt cannula and the material will be thoroughly massaged into the area to obtain a smooth result.
What To Expect After the Treatment?
In most cases little or no bruising occurs following treatment. Initially the area that was injected may appear full because Sculptra is mixed with water but this fullness will dissipate over 24 to 48 hours.
Sculptra injections are one of the most common cosmetic treatments in the world.This treatment is particularly useful for people who have lost facial volume particularly in their cheeks and temples and wish to gradually create a natural looking improvement. Sculptra can be safely and painlessly injected provided the practitioner has the experience and skill to prepare the patient correctly and administer the material at the the correct location and depth.
