What is Sculptra?
Unlike dermal fillers, Sculptra is injected into various areas of the face rather than just targeting visible wrinkles and lines. This helps to increase overall volume in the face and stimulates growth of collagen within your body, results last between three and five years. A discreet way of realizing a fresher, younger-looking appearance, Sculptra is often used by Hollywood stars who deny having surgery but seem to have defied aging by maintaining natural good looks. All without an “overdone” plastic appearance.
Dr. Anil Sharma from Sharma Skin & Hair Surgery is a leading Sculptra training physician. He’s one of the pioneers who first introduced Sculptra to London when launched by the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis. He has performed more than 1,300 Sculptra treatments and is an internationally recognized expert in the technique.
Benefits of Sculptra
Significant Difference, Long-Lasting Results
Sculptra is unique in stimulating your body to participate in aging backward by causing the regrowth of lost tissue. Useful around the mouth and nose, sunken cheeks, facial scars, deep acne scars and loose skin with deep folds, it’s appropriate for both men and women of different ages.
Late 20’s Aged Clients
In a person’s late 20’s, collagen production becomes dormant and slows down. That’s a perfect time to start Sculptra. This keeps the collagen levels high, which works to keep the skin tighter for longer. In Europe this is known as “anti-aging prophylaxis”.
30’s to 40’s Aged Clients
In a person’s 30’s and 40’s, Sculptra accentuates collagen and cheek volume in a natural way. This makes it perfect for long-lasting line and wrinkle correction.
50’s and Onward Aged Clients
In a person’s 50’s and onward, Sculptra is ideal to restore volume and facial contours, correct facial laxity, and enhance the jawline. Patients can achieve the appearance of full facelifting without needing surgery, which is more aggressive. Results may last up to five years, making this a great economic alternative to fillers. Patients often attain their desired result after just one or two treatments.
What is Sculptra?
Sculptra works deep within the dermis, helping to replace lost collagen. Its reinforced collagen construction provides a foundation that slowly restores the appearance of fullness to help lessen deep facial wrinkles and folds that progress with time.
Poly-l-lactic acid, the chief ingredient in Sculptra, has been used in surgical procedures for over 40 years. Derived from fruit acids, it’s also used for bioresorbable sutures, in-bone plates and screws, and as a medium for medicine. It isn’t harmful and is naturally broken down by the body. Approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of facial fat loss, it received additional approval for broader aesthetic use in 2009. It’s also fully recognized by Health Canada.
Sculptra provides a non-surgical facelift for patients, giving subtle and natural-looking results for up to two years, however in clinical practice results are often observed past this duration. It increases the thickness of the dermis and helps to remove fine lines, smooth wrinkles, and increase volume in hollow areas of the face.
How is Sculptra administered?
Prior to treatment, Dr. Sharma works closely with each patient to carefully map out entry points based on facial anatomy, skin condition, facial profile, and the aesthetic results they hope to achieve. To prepare for the procedure, any makeup is removed and the injection sites are cleaned with an antiseptic solution. A topical or local anesthetic is often given to alleviate any possible discomfort. Using a fine needle, Dr. Sharma injects Sculptra into the dermis in small amounts at discrete micro entry points. Multiple injections are administered and an ice pack is applied to the treatment area to help reduce swelling.
Treatment requirements vary by patient, but Sculptra is typically administered two to three times in six-week intervals. After two years, patients may desire touch-up treatments, which are only required once a year.
Why choose Sculptra?
Sculptra is a sophisticated treatment that has many benefits over dermal fillers:
- Stimulates the growth of your own collagen
- Gives subtle, natural-looking results gradually (people won’t know you had the procedure unless you tell them)
- Effects can last three to five years
- Improves sunken facial features, including smiles lines and cheek hollows
- Biodegradable, bio-compatible, and clinically safe
- Useful for a wider range of treatment areas including the cheeks, nasolabial folds, chin, temples, and the under-eye area
- Cost effective for treating larger areas
- Retreatments are needed less often
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Knowledge Centre
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Sculptra FAQ
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common questions asked during our initial consultation
Here are some of the questions that have come from our patients.
This treatment requires a personal consultation to determine cost. Please contact us for pricing information.
Post-treatment care is crucial for making the most of your Sculptra session
- For the first 24 hours after treatment, apply a cloth-wrapped ice pack to the injection sites for a few minutes each time to help reduce swelling
- For five days after treatment, massage the areas for five minutes 5 times per day
- Avoid direct sunlight and sunbeds until swelling and redness have subsided
- Use a high protection sunblock to protect your skin
Immediately after each Sculptra session, it may look like the treatment has already done its job because of the mild swelling that may occur from the needle pokes, and the water used to inject the product. This swelling will go down within a few days, and your folds and wrinkles will temporarily reappear. Lasting improvement from your Sculptra treatment will begin to appear about six weeks after your first treatment. Results will improve progressively with each treatment as the collagen is restored and your skin’s internal structure improves.
Remember that the collagen needs time to develop naturally and is not directly injected like some of the other treatments.
Sculptra is unique in stimulating your body to participate in aging backward by causing the regrowth of lost tissue. Useful around the mouth and nose, sunken cheeks, facial scars, deep acne scars and loose skin with deep folds, it’s appropriate for both men and women of different ages.
In a person’s late 20’s, collagen production becomes dormant and slows down. That’s a perfect time to start Sculptra. This keeps the collagen levels high, which works to keep the skin tighter for longer. In Europe this is known as “anti-aging prophylaxis”.
In a person’s 30’s and 40’s, Sculptra accentuates collagen and cheek volume in a natural way. This makes it perfect for long-lasting line and wrinkle correction.
In a person’s 50’s and onward, Sculptra is ideal to restore volume and facial contours, correct facial laxity, and enhance the jawline. Patients can achieve the appearance of full facelifting without needing surgery, which is more aggressive. Results may last up to five years, making this a great economic alternative to fillers. Patients often attain their desired result after just one or two treatments.
Clinical studies reveal almost no allergic reactions to Sculptra. You may experience discomfort, swelling, and in some instances bruising or redness that will resolve on its own after about a week. In a very limited number of cases, small lumps eventually appear under the skin in the treated area. Usually these bumps are invisible and can only be found when pressing on the area. Dr. Sharma has not encountered these complications due to the special techniques he has imported from his practice in Europe.
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Talk to a Sculptra Expert in Edmonton, Alberta
If you are considering options for Sculptra, our experienced team is just a phone call away. We provide Sculptra for Edmonton residents, as well as those choosing our Edmonton clinic as their Sculptra destination.
