How Do Sculptra Injections Work?

Your Sculptra-trained specialist injects the product in the deeper areas of the face to volumize or push up this area, which reduces the appearance of lines, wrinkles and folds. Sculptra contains a collagen stimulator called ploy-L-lactic acid. This component causes your body to create a significant amount of new collagen, which volumizes or plumps up the area.

On average, for the best results, three Sculptra injections are recommended over a few months’ time (three to four months), but this varies by individual and how much volume you have lost.

What can I expect after my Sculptra injection?

After each Sculptra session, you can expect to swell at the injection site but this usually subsides within a few days. You may have some bruising as well. You’ll be encouraged to use a wrapped ice pack to reduce swelling or discomfort, especially during the first 24 hours after a Sculptra treatment. Your aesthetic team will also recommend massaging the treated areas several times every day for the first week.

You may also notice small bumps or larger lumps under the skin, but these are temporary and a Sculptra-trained physician can minimize this adverse effect through their precision skills and experience—the injection should be placed in the deep areas of the face, not the superficial layers.

You should avoid sunlight and UV lamps while healing and, of course, use sunscreen.

You’ll see benefits within the first month but you should know that temporary wrinkles may reappear as swelling resolves. Time and additional treatments will improve your appearance as collagen growth continues to happen behind the scenes. Restored collagen will produce long-lasting results that appear naturally and gradually, and can last for up to two years or longer. We are treating the cause of fine lines and wrinkles, not just the symptoms!

What else should I know about Sculptra injections?

If your skin is experiencing any issues like rashes or inflammation/infection at the site of the proposed injection, then you should wait for the irritation to pass before undergoing injections.

You should also talk to your doctor before your treatment if you are taking blood-thinning medication or NSAIDs. You may be asked to stop taking your medications 24 hours before the procedure.

Here are a few other things you should keep in mind before committing to Sculptra injections:

• For optimal results, you'll need to commit to a short series of injections rather than one single injection session
• You won't see dramatic results right away
• Sculptra works over time to regain lost collagen and results are gradual and natural-looking
• You must follow your aftercare instructions, like massaging the area multiple times every day for at least the first five days following treatment, to enjoy the most dramatic results

Finally, Sculptra fillers should only be administered by providers who have been specifically trained through the official Scultpra Aesthetic process. The Sculptra-trained experts at Quintessa can confidently target the best injection site locations and develop your aesthetic regimen for the most dramatic results.

how soon after my sculptra procedure do I have to wait for fat injections?

Well, that depends if you want the fat injected in the same area that the Sculptra has been injected. If that is the case, then we'd like to discuss if the original Sculptra injection was inadequate in its treatment of the area that you desire volume. Ultimately, fat injections can be applied to any body that has had Sculptra injections even in the area where Sculptra has already been placed; however, we are more concerned about the effectiveness and whether you are achieving the desired outcome.

There are some unknowns here, too. Sculptra gets its volumetric enhancement through the inflammatory response that the patient has to the actual Sculptra product. With this additional inflammation in the tissue, it is unclear as to whether this negatively or even positively will affect the viability of transferred fat. We have performed fat injections in areas of prior Sculptra and have found that it is not only more difficult to perform due to some significant fibrous side effects of the Sculptra injection, but we do have significant concern over the long term viability of this fat due to the inflammation that must be present in that area.

With that said, there is no problem whatsoever performing fat transfer injections into other areas of the face where Sculptra has not been placed. This should in no way affect the result of the fat and can give the patient the desired result.