My Own Sculptra Story

Most if not all of the services that we make available to the patients in my office I have used, samples or subjected my friends and family to. If I can’t understand the use or the benefit, how can I explain it to a patient who wants to know what they will get out of it. The world of fillers and antiaging services just got a lot easier for me to share with my patients.

Although I have had a lot of experience injecting patients I was always struck with how enthusiastic they were AFTER they saw the results. In almost every case, they got MORE than they expected from Sculptra. I had had personal experience with other products and so had my patients. I found it always surprising just how thrilled they were when they used the sculptra, even if they had had other products.

I will share my photos with you. I have to tell you that it is kind of hard to photograph the subtle differences in the before and after. My friends and family (and some patients that I don’t see very often) comment on how well I look. Have you lost weight? You are getting younger? Why don’t you stop lying about your age? I have gotten all of these questions since having two sessions of sculptra. These photos were taken before and then six weeks after the second session. Sculptra is like the gift that keeps on giving since it makes your body produce more volume over time.

How painful was it? Not very because my skin was numbed by some very excellent topical cream applied 30 minutes before the product is delivered deep to the surface layer of skin. Sometimes patients bruise but I didn’t really do this (even though I consider myself someone who bruises easily). If bruising does happen, it goes away in a few days and can be covered up with foundation. So far, the men I have treated have not had to do this.

After the first treatment, I waited 6 weeks for the second session. I was planning on getting the third treatment 6 weeks after that but decided that it wasn’t necessary. Any filler can be overdone but I don’t think anyone wants to look like they have never looked before! The idea of sculptra is to replace the volume that is lost from intrinsic aging. This is generally in the temples, the cheekbone region, the crease between the mouth and cheeks (called the nasolabial fold). There are areas that sculptra is NOT to be applied and these include the lips, under the eyes and anywhere superficially. It is a DEEP filler and if placed incorrectly, bumps will form that take a long time to go away.

I am pleased at how subtle it is. As the volume is put back, the skin smoothes out and therefore you look fresher. When the skin becomes more three dimensional, light reflects better so patient tell me they feel as if they are glowing. Now I know what they mean!