The evolution of the wrinkle filler has led to an amazingly effective product called Sculptra. But Sculptra is not a wrinkle filler – it’s a volumizer. It replaces the natural volume (fat) loss that occurs as we age – the volume loss that is responsible for the appearance of age.
This is a very important concept and one that explains why a facelift may be the wrong thing to do or only part of what to do if you want to look younger! A young face has fullness and roundness in the cheeks, under the eyes, in the lips and around the mouth. This fullness causes light to reflect with very little shadow. The human eye is drawn to reflected light.
Sculptra is not a wrinkle filler and it acts quite differently in the skin tissue. It is a bio activator which you could consider a "self-volumizer". It works by stimulating the body to produce new collagen at the sites of injection, thereby replacing lost volume and contours to restore a fuller, more youthful appearance.
Dr. Fitzgerald’s Patients Share Their Sculptra Stories
Elaine is a big fan of looking as real to yourself as possible. Elaine felt that looking better, not different, was her goal. "It's so terrific in that you don't know quite yourself why you look better."
A busy attorney and mom, Christine was being told she looked tired. Aware that her appearance affected both how she felt about herself, how she was perceived at work and how she performed. She didn't want a dramatic change but did want something that would last. I now hear, "Wow, you look good!"
Vivian is passionate about natural. She wanted to stay true to her values and opted for Sculptra to generate her own collagen. "I was amazed. Subtly, my face is lifted."
Why Volume Replacement is So Effective
Droopy skin? Sagging skin or loose skin? Flattened contours? An older face will show a loss of the fullness of the cheeks, temples, the lips and area around the mouth and will show fat loss under the eyes which creates a hollow effect. Where there used to be light, now there are shadows. By replacing the volume loss, you reverse the creation of shadow and restore the reflection of light and the appearance of youth, energy and vibrance.
This volume replacement fills the skin so that it is lifted; not surgically with scalpel and sutures, but lifted by the formation of your body’s own collagen – collagen that was created in surrounding the microscopic particles that make up Sculptra. A facelift will remove excess skin, and to some degree this will lessen the shadow effect, but a facelift will not restore volume. And volume is what makes you look young.
So that’s why the introduction of a volumizer such as Sculptra is such an exciting event!
“… volume is what makes you look younger. That’s why the introduction of a volumizer such as Sculptra Aesthetic is such an exciting change in how we can make facial rejuvenation choices. It’s an exciting shift AWAY from surgery to achieve a lifted, more balanced facial appearance.”
Injection Experience from Sculptra’s Master International Physician
Dr. Fitzgerald, as an International Master Training Physician for Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Sculptra, has extensive experience in injection technique. She is among the top injectors in the U.S. and one of the most requested trainers both here and abroad. She has successfully treated hundreds of patients in the Los Angeles area and thousands across the U.S. and internationally.
Dr. Fitzgerald assisted in the launch of Sculptra in the UK, has completed a number of US training tours and is a key speaker at numerous professional conferences for Dermatology and Plastic Surgery around the world, including the prestigious International Master Course in Aging Skin held in Paris each year. Her medical articles and findings on Sculptra have been published in major medical journals and are used as adjunctive teaching tools for other physicians throughout the world.
How Sculptra Works
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sculptra made of?
Sculptra is made of poly L lactic acid (PLLA), a synthetic biodegradable polymer that is both resorbable and bio compatible. PLLA has been widely used for many years in dissolvable sutures so it’s compatibility with the body is proven.
How does Sculptra work?
Sculptra is not a wrinkle filler, but a bio activator or “volumizer”. It works by stimulating the body to produce new collagen at the sites of injection, thereby replacing lost volume and contours to restore a fuller, more youthful appearance.
How Much Collagen Have YOU Lost?
Where can Sculptra be used?
Our faces don’t so much ‘fall’ with time. They actually lose volume and deflate. This deflation and volume loss leaves us looking less 3-dimensional than we did when we were younger. Volume restoration brings back the dimensional qualities, improves symmetry and can ‘pick up’ sagging skin.
Sculptra™ can be used to restore volume to hollow areas of the temples, cheeks, chin and under the eyes, as well as to define the jaw line. It is not recommended for use in and around the lips. Lips and wrinkles are best treated with other products such as Restylane or Juvederm.
How is Sculptra administered?
Each treatment consists of a few injections to the areas to be volumized i.e; temple/cheeks/chin/jaw line. The product is administered with local anesthesia and the discomfort is minimal.
What are the side effects of Sculptra?
As with all other injections there can be temporary swelling and bruising. Otherwise, there is no ‘downtime’. Other risks include the transient appearance of palpable, but usually not visible, papules under the skin which resolve spontaneously over a period of weeks to months.
How long does Sculptra last?
The lasting effects of Sculptra™ vary from patient to patient, however studies have shown that some Sculptra™ patients have seen results last up to or greater than two years from the first treatment. Periodic touch up treatments will maintain the desired effects.
Whether you're making a return visit or your first appointment, Rebecca Fitzgerald MD will draw upon her vast knowledge and experience to develop a custom treatment plan using Sculptra and/or other premium products. Call 323-464-8046 or complete the form on this page for service in the Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Larchmont area.
View Dr. Fitzgerald's professional injection training videos here
