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Sculptra®

“Sculptra is one of the most artistic of all the injectables – it requires an eye for facial aesthetics and balance.”

Sculptra is an FDA-approved filler unique in the industry, as it is the only filler that can use the words “anti-age” in its approved materials. Sculptra, when injected under the skin, stimulates your own body to produce new collagen that replaces in your face the lost volume due to aging.

Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Szachowicz offers Sculptra at our Minneapolis-St. Paul area plastic surgery practice in Edina, MN. He is an approved trainer, which means he trains other doctors in the techniques of injection. Dr. Szachowicz has one of the largest Sculptra practices in the Midwest, and has taught about Sculptra injection therapy nationally to hundreds of physicians. Sculptra treatments restore lost volume to the face, lift the cheeks, soften the nasolabial folds, and restore contour to the chin and jawline. The results are gradual and can last over two years. Treatments can reverse some of the earliest signs of aging.

Sculptra – An Injectable Filler Which Stimulates New Collagen

Sculptra is unique among injectable dermal fillers because it replaces lost volume to the entire face, not just lips and lines. Sculptra acts as a “bio-stimulator” that stimulates your own body to create brand new collagen over the next 4 to 6 weeks after treatment. Sculptra is made of many units of lactic acid, a substance that normally forms in the body after exercise.

Aging causes loss of volume throughout the face, with loss of collagen in the skin. Just as important, volume is depleted in the deeper tissues as fat in the face atrophies and bone-loss (osteoporosis) occurs in the facial skeleton. The pictures below show how atrophy of facial fat and loss of bone have a profound impact on facial aging.

How Sculptra Works

After being placed under the skin, the microscopic particles of Sculptra gradually break down over the next 4 to 6 weeks. As the particles break down, the body is stimulated to make brand new collagen in the area treated. The procedure is repeated every 4 to 6 weeks until the desired amount of new collagen is obtained. The growth of new collagen is gradual, so those around you notice only a subtle but important improvement over time. The cheeks and temples are usually treated in the upper face, and the nasolabial lines and chin are treated in the lower face.

Although Sculptra has been shown to last up to two years until it is gone, Dr. Szachowicz prefers to maintain the stimulation of collagen by adding one additional treatment every six months to a year, rather than waiting until the collagen diminishes to the point that the series of treatments needs to be repeated.

Sculptra Procedure

The Sculptra procedure is scheduled after Dr. Szachowicz has a consultation about your facial aging, and a customized treatment plan is considered to address your personal goals. The procedure takes place in the office over approximately 30 minutes.

• Sculptra is mixed with local anesthetic for your comfort. Either topical numbing cream or ice packs are used for comfort.
• Precise placement of Sculptra is done to disperse the Sculptra evenly under the skin. Minimizing of bruising is helped by avoiding supplements containing fish and plant oil and by avoiding aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (Advil, Motrin, and such).
• The areas of treatment will be slightly fuller (increased volume), and this subsides within 24 hours.
• Massage in all treated areas 3 to 4 times daily for 3 to 4 days disperses the particles of Sculptra evenly around the treated areas.

The new collagen begins to form over the next month, and repeat treatments are scheduled about one month apart. The Sculptra procedure is repeated every month until the desired volume is restored. Usually 4 to 6 treatments per area (such as the upper face) are required. Thereafter, your maintenance treatments are usually every 6 to 12 months, to keep up the bio-stimulation of new collagen.

Where is Sculptra Placed?

Sculptra is called a global volumizer, and it is not just a lip and line filler, so it can be used to restore volume to the entire face. Sculptra can be artfully used to restore youthful contours in the cheeks and chin and to fill deeper hollows caused by age-related bone loss in the temples and forehead.

Sculptra is most often placed in the face in the following areas, to:

• Augment the cheeks and temples
• Smooth shadows around the mouth (chin and nasolabial folds)
• Define the jawline

Can Sculptra Be Combined With Other Cosmetic Procedures?

Sculptra, a strong contributor in the new art of ”liquid facelift,” is often combined with other cosmetic procedures. When combined with Fraxel® laser skin resurfacing and gel fillers such as Restylane® or JUVÉDERM® applied to the lips and finer lines, the results can look dramatic.

Dr. Edward Szachowicz

(Sack-o-which)

Your face can reflect the way you feel inside through a facelift or another surgical procedure by Dr. Szachowicz.

Meet Dr. Szachowicz

What Are the Downsides With Sculptra Treatments?

With an experienced professional, the risks are few and manageable. Bumps or nodules can occur if the Sculptra is concentrated in one area and too much collagen forms in one place. Often, if the nodule is small, it will resolve over time without treatment. Bruising is possible but not routine. A rare immune response is possible with any injectable filler. Sculptra is not approved for the lips or eyelid region.