Question: I recently read an article on Sculptra that said it was made from poly-L lactic acid and not hyaluronic acid. What is that and how does it differ from ingredients in other injectable fillers?
Answer: Poly-L lactic acid is another polymer, which means its molecules link together to form a chain, only hyaluronic acid is sugar molecules which are naturally found in our body and the poly-L lactic acid has different molecules that are not a naturally occurring substance. It is interesting that poly-L lactic acid is similar to the substance that makes up Vicryl sutures, which are very commonly used in plastic surgery. These sutures slowly dissolve, as does the Sculptra, though strangely Sculptra lasts much longer that the actual suture material does since this injectable Sculptra material can be present for 2 to 3 years and sometimes even longer, which is a great advantage for Sculptra over the hyaluronic acid products.
