If you want to look like yourself – simply more refreshed – the number one treatment I recommend is Sculptra. Just like a 401K can help you secure your financial future, investing in Sculptra injections can ensure a more youthful look for years to come.
What is Sculptra?
Sculptra is an FDA-approved facial injectable designed to stimulate collagen production in your skin. Collagen is the protein responsible for maintaining skin structure and firmness, but it decreases as we age. Sculptra works by encouraging your body to produce more collagen, effectively replenishing lost volume and smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines.
How does Sculptra work?
Most people categorize Sculptra as a filler – but that can be a little misleading. The most commonly used fillers (Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane) restore lost volume with a viscous substance called hyaluronic acid. The gel-like material fills up the spaces where you’ve lost collagen for about 6-12 months.
Sculptra, however, contains a form of liquid alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). If you’re a skincare geek, AHA may be a familiar ingredient since it has been used in topical anti-aging creams and serums for decades. When slathered on top of the skin, AHAs help your body produce more of its own collagen and the same is true when it’s injected deep into the skin.
Sculptra stimulates your body to make more of its own collagen, naturally plumping up wrinkles and filling in hollow areas. It takes about 6-12 weeks to start to see a difference, but results last for two years.
What is Sculptra Used For?
Some common treatment areas:
- Undereye hollows
- Sunken cheeks
- Marionette lines
- Sunken temples
- Slack jawline
- Sagging chin
- Acne scars
- Pockmarks
The Treatment Process
Sculptra is administered as a series of injections, typically performed over several appointments. We ask that patients arrive 30-45 minutes before their treatment so the topical anesthetic we apply to the skin has time to kick in. Sculptra contains an anesthetic in the formula as well, so patients typically report little to no discomfort.
My patients in Austin often point to their cheeks or nasolabial folds as areas where they’d like to see more volume and smoothness. I inject these areas during most Sculptra treatments, but I also carefully place Sculptra in the temples, the chin, and the jawline to give the whole face a more balanced, youthful look. Sometimes I’ll even use Sculptra to build out other areas of the body such as the knees, abdomen, décolleté areas, but that’s a topic for another article!
Post-Treatment Care for Sculptra
After-care is super minimal, but I do recommend that patients follow the 5-5-5 rule. Massage treated areas five times a day for five minutes for five days after your injections. Mild swelling or bruising can happen, but typically resolves within a few days. We offer arnica at our clinic to minimize this. Ice packs and ibuprofen are all you need to knock out any mild soreness. Most patients can resume their daily activities immediately post procedure.
Local to Austin, TX and interested in trying Sculptra? Make an appointment with Dr. Chuma Chike-Obi, founder of 360 Plastic Surgery.
Written and reviewed by Dr. Chuma Chike-Obi, MD
