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procedures > Sculptra - the liquid facelift
* This procedure is for restoring youthful facial contours & HIV facial wasting.
Sculptra is polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is derived from fruit acids. Lactic acid is a naturally occuring compound in our body, so skin testing is not required.
It is a biocompatible and biodegradable injectable material that naturally stimulates the body to produce its own collagen. Originally approved as a filler material for HIV/AIDS patients who had associated facial wasting, Sculptra is now widely used not only for HIV patients but also for cosmetic benefits in the general aging population. Sculptra has been shown to produce significant increases in skin thickness, adding volume to facial tissue and restoring shape and fullness to create youthful appearing facial contours.
Benefits:
- stimulates growth of new collagen
- increased skin thickness
- subtle and gradual facial volume enhancement
- less pronounced creases, wrinkles and folds
How it works:
When the micro particles of poly-L-lactic acid are deposited under the skin they begin to stimulate collagen production as they are slowly broken down by the body. A natural, soft increase in dermal thickness begins to take shape within several weeks of injection.
What to expect:
At the first treatment it may appear that the Sculptra worked immediately. This is swelling from the injections and the water used to dilute the Sculptra. In a few days when the swelling goes down and the water is absorbed by the body, you may look as you did before the treatment. Repeated treatment sessions that follow provide more opportunity to see the full benefit. Depending on the amount of correction that is desired, and depending on the amount of material used at each session, patients normally choose to have three to four treatments. Over the course of four to six weeks, there is a gradual filling in the hollows, indentations and skin creases to restore youthful appearing facial contours. The improvement typically last 2 years and the procedure can be repeated as needed for maintenance.
Side effects:
The most common ones are injection related, such as bruising and tenderness. A possible delayed side effect can be small bumps under the skin. These bumps may not be visible and you may notice them only when you press on the area. These bumps usually go away on their own, although occasionally visible bumps have been reported. Sculptra was introduced in Europe in 1999, and many of the reported side effects of bumps under the skin occurred during its early use in the EU, Japan, and Australia. Sculptra was only made available in Canada after 2006, and Canadian physicians and their patients have benefited with the knowledge gained by the European experience of injecting over 100,000 patients. Dr. Braun injects the most Sculptra in British Columbia, and the formation of bumps is quite rare.
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