Sculptra: Not Your Average Beauty Treatment

No matter how careful you are about avoiding the sun and sticking to a good skin care routine, the signs of aging will inevitably begin to appear on your face. Smile lines, marionette lines, and wrinkles on your chin are common signs of skin aging, and they get worse over time as the level of collagen in your skin diminishes. Less collagen means that skin isn’t as firm or elastic as it used to be, so wrinkles deepen as skin slackens.

You have probably heard about injectables that are used to fight off these wrinkles, like Botox and dermal fillers. These products produce great results. Botox works on dynamic wrinkles by reducing the contraction of muscles under the skin that causes skin to crease, while dermal fillers plump up the skin in the crevices of static wrinkles, creating a smoother appearance. However, while these beauty treatments do provide satisfying results, they don’t target the underlying problem of collagen loss. For that, you need Sculptra. Sculptra targets collagen loss—a significant factor in age-related skin changes—so that you can get a more youthful complexion with natural-looking results.

Sculptra is not your average beauty treatment, and it is not just the latest fad in a long line of anti-aging therapies that are big on hype and low on results. Instead, it is an FDA-approved injectable that uses a biocompatible substance called PLLA, or poly-L-lactic acid. PLLA causes your body to ramp up collagen production. With more collagen, you’ll have fewer wrinkles and a complexion that looks more youthful overall, with smoother, firmer skin.

How does PLLA perform this miracle? When the Sculptra is injected into your skin, your body will absorb the PLLA. Because PLLA contains the nutrients the body needs to make collagen, production will increase and your skin will become more youthful.

The truth is that you don’t have to choose. Other injectables can—and often, should—have a place in your anti-aging skin care routine. Adding Sculptra to your routine will enhance the overall results of your other treatments.

Sculptra doesn’t work instantly, like some other injectables. Instead, it takes about six months to start seeing results. During that time, PLLA is working in your body and increasing the production of collagen. As that happens, your skin will gradually begin to look younger and fresher, without a dramatic, obvious change overnight. In other words, people will notice you look more vibrant, but they won’t be able to pinpoint that you had anything done.

Other injectables, like Botox and dermal fillers, work quickly. You’ll get the enhancement associated with those treatments while your Sculptra is kicking in, and you may even be ready for a new round of injectables by the time your Sculptra results become more visible. When used together, all of these injectables can make your skin smoother, tauter, and healthier.

Pain is a central concern of patients considering any kind of injectable treatment. Sculptra does involve multiple injections on your face, and the medication is delivered to a deep dermal level. However, your physician can use a topical numbing cream to make the procedure more comfortable. Generally, patients find Sculptra very tolerable and in line with their experiences of other injectables. Of course, everyone has a different level of pain tolerance and feels things differently. If you are concerned about the discomfort level, talk to your physician, who can discuss other patients’ experiences and help you understand exactly what to expect. Fortunately, the procedure only takes a few minutes.

Sculptra is a very fast treatment. The injections take a few minutes, and the additional time spent during your appointment will be dedicated to helping you understand what to expect and prepping your skin, including allowing the topical anesthetic to kick in, if you are using it. Many patients find it very convenient and easy to have Sculptra done during their lunch breaks.

After treatment, you may experience some redness around the injection site, as well as itchiness or tenderness. Some people also experience minor bruising and small lumps where the injections were performed. Your provider may recommend that you avoid makeup or strenuous activities for a few hours post-treatment, but you should be able to return to work without any obvious signs that you’ve had a cosmetic treatment.

The question of how many treatments you need will be something you will discuss with your provider. However, most people tend to need three or four treatments in order to get their desired results.

The good news is that Sculptra is extremely long-lasting. Patients who have had it in the past state that the results are still satisfactory two years after treatment, and some enjoy their results for much longer. When you notice that the signs of aging are starting to creep back in, then you can have another round of treatments to maintain your youthful complexion.

Good candidates for Sculptra are people who are concerned about wrinkles that are concentrated in the bottom half of their faces. It is particularly good at treating wrinkles around the nose and mouth. People who are good Sculptra candidates are also those who are not looking for a fast fix to their problems and don’t mind waiting for the results to develop over time—or who are willing to get another injectable along with their Sculptra to treat their wrinkles temporarily while Sculptra is taking effect.

At Perfection Plastic Surgery and Skin Care, our team is dedicated to helping you find the skin treatments that are best suited to meet your treatment goals. Could Sculptra be the answer for you? The best way to find out is to schedule a consultation. You can call our plastic surgery practice and skin care clinic in Tucson by calling (520) 323-7100 or click Schedule A Consultation below.