Sculptra™

Over time, your skin loses its full, firm, youthful appearance. This is the result of a natural aging process when your skin becomes thinner and loses its natural elasticity. As a result, it becomes loose and starts to wrinkle. Fat tissue, which also helps to fill out your face, is lost, causing skin to sag and further wrinkle. This reduction in skin volume can make your face look thin and narrow, possibly making you appear older than you are. Fortunately, Sculptra™ may smooth lines and wrinkles and help your skin regain a firm and youthful appearance by restoring skin volume you may have naturally lost. With Sculptra™, you can restore facial contour and get rid of lines and wrinkles without surgery. Sculptra™ is a synthetic, injectable material that contains skin-smoothing microparticles to help lift and smooth sagging skin, severe wrinkles, creases, dark circles, and scars.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sculptra™

How Does Sculptra™ Work?
Unlike surgical options, Sculptra™ can provide gradual, natural-looking results with less traumatic treatment. Sculptra™ works in the lower layers of the skin to smooth and firm the treated areas of the face. The procedure can be performed at AesthetiSpa and can take as little as 30 minutes. The number of necessary injections depends on several factors, including your age, how deep your wrinkles are, and the type of treatment you desire. After your first treatment, we reassess you at a one month follow-up and determine whether or not you need subsequent treatments to obtain the desired results.

In contrast to some other treatments that require frequent touch-up sessions, a clinical study has shown that the aesthetic improvements obtained with Sculptra™ have persisted for up to 2 years in many patients.

What is Sculptra™?
Sculptra™ is a synthetic injectable material known as "poly-L-lactic acid." Poly-L-lactic acid is biocompatible (a material that does not harm the body) and biodegradable (able to be broken down by the body). Poly-L-lactic acid has been widely used for many years in dissolvable stitches, soft tissue implants, and other types of implants.

Do I need a skin test before being treated with Sculptra™?
No skin testing is required prior to use.

Are the results from Sculptra™ immediate?
No. At your first treatment visit, it may appear that Sculptra™ worked immediately because of swelling from the injections and the water used to dilute Sculptra™. In a few days, when the swelling goes down and the water is absorbed by your body, you may look as you did before your treatment. Sculptra™ takes time to correct the depression in your skin. After treatment, you should notice gradual results over the next several weeks.

How many treatments are required?
The appropriate number of treatment sessions and amount of Sculptra™ needed at each session varies from patient to patient. Dr. Schaffer will discuss this with each patient in detail during the consultation. Patients with severe facial fat loss may require 3 to 6 treatment sessions.

How long do treatment results last?
Treatment results will differ for each person. In a clinical study, the treatment results lasted for up to 2 years after the first treatment session, in most patients. Touch-up treatments may be needed to maintain the desired effect.

Do injections of Sculptra™ hurt?
As with any injection, injections with Sculptra™ may hurt. Sculptra™ is injected in small amounts using a very fine needle. We apply a topical anesthetic to the treatment area prior to any injections. In addition, Sculptra is injected with an anesthetic in it.

How quickly can I get back to my daily activities?
Most patients feel comfortable going back to their normal activities following treatment.

When will I be able to apply make-up after treatment?
Make-up may be applied a few hours after treatment.

What are the possible side effects of treatment with Sculptra™?
The most common side effects with the use of Sculptra™ include injection-related side effects at the site of the injection such as bleeding, tenderness, pain, redness, bruising, or swelling. These side effects generally last, on average, 2 to 14 days.

One possible delayed side effect with Sculptra™ can be small bumps under the skin in the treated area. These small bumps may not be visible, and you may notice them only when you press on the treated skin. These bumps tend to happen within the first 6 to 12 months after the first treatment. Occasionally, these bumps go away on their own. Visible bumps, sometimes with redness or color change to the treated area, have also been reported. As with all procedures that involve an injection through the skin, there is a risk of infection