Sculptra

Sculptra aesthetic is an increasingly popular injectable used to fight wrinkles and sagging skin bystimulating the skin’s collagen production to help restore the cheeky plumpness of healthy skin. Sculptra Aesthetic received FDA approval as an injectable filler in 2004 after achieving European approval in 1999. Sculptra can smooth deep wrinkles like marionette lines and reverse volume loss that can cause sunken cheeks and chin wrinkles.

Sculptra both adds volume and stimulates new collagen production within the deep dermis and is longer-lasting than hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers like Juvéderm or Restylane. It is not recommended for use as a lip or under-eye filler.

Sculptra is an alternative anti-aging treatment to injectable dermal fillers, skin creams, fat injections and implants. Collagen is an important structural protein found in connective tissue whose function is to keep the skin firm, youthful and smooth. After the age of 25, our body’s collagen production decreases by approximately 1% per year, and over time you may begin to see wrinkles or sagging skin. Fat loss in the hypodermis beneath the skin layers also results in droopy skin, hollowed cheeks, indentations, and depressions within the face.

As Sculptra stimulates your skin to regrow its own natural collagen over time, it corrects shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds, resulting in a firmer, younger looking skin. Sculptra is not simply a collagen stimulator and the Sculptra itself is not providing the filling. Sculptra causes a reaction within the skin, spurring it to form new collagen.

The Sculptra itself is absorbed by the tissue and is gone about 2 years after a treatment, but the new collagen layer left behind can last years. Sculptra requires a series of treatments to achieve adequate filling for most skin defects.

Sculptra is composed of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a biocompatible synthetic molecule which is biodegradable, so it does not harm the body and is easily broken down and absorbed.

Our expert injectors at Forever Slender MedSpa in Norton, Massachusetts and Wayland, Massachusetts use a topical numbing agent to numb the skin prior to the injections. The Sculptra powder is also reconstituted with water and lidocaine, so you will feel number as the injections are being done. Most people are surprised at the comfort of the treatments.

On average a minimum of three treatment sessions are needed over a period of several months. The number of injection sessions and the length of time between sessions vary from person to person. Older patients, thinner patients, and patients who exercise extensively may require more product or more treatment sessions.

Sculptra has become more popular for off-label uses. The most common is the “Sculptra butt lift,” which uses the filler to add subtle volume and contour to the buttocks.

Sculptra can also be used to increase definition and volume in the thighs, triceps, biceps, and pectorals; to diminish wrinkles on the elbows, chest, and knees; and to fill cellulite dimples.

Most people quote the volumizing effect from Sculptra as lasting 2-3 years, but new collagen has a half-life of about 7 years. This differential is due to the body continuing to age and countering the effects of the Sculptra-created improvements. For this reason, touch up treatments are recommended at 12–18-month intervals to keep the correction rather than go all the way back to baseline.

If you are ready to get rid of those annoying wrinkles and regain a youthful look, we recommend reaching out to set up a consultation with the amazing Forever Slender MedSpa medical team based in Norton, Massachusetts and Wayland, Massachusetts.

We will be happy to answer any of your questions or concerns and will be able to determine if this is the right course of treatment for you. Make an appointment for an assessment of your skin and personalized recommendations that may include Sculptra, neurotoxins, filler injectables or nonsurgical skin treatments to give you a youthful appearance and radiant complexion.