Sculptra®
A number of choices are available to you when you are deciding on treatment. Common temporary fillers do not provide long term reduction of wrinkles and creases, and their results are often short-lived. Sculptra® is a collagen stimulator that reduces lines, wrinkles and folds and replaces the fullness of the face that has been lost by the ageing process. Sculptra®works by stimulating your own facial collagen production to replenish your skin, providing a natural looking result. It works gradually to restore what has been lost and once your treatment plan is complete, the results can last for more than 3 years.
Characteristics
Sculptra® is an injectable implant that contains micro particles of poly-L-lactic acid, a biocompatible (body-own product), biodegradable (metabolized by natural ways), synthetic polymer. It has been widely used for many years in dissolvable stitches, soft tissue implants, and other types of implants. Conditions such as wrinkling, creases, folds, degenerative skin aging and facial loss of fat may be treated with Sculptra®. It is intended for restoration and/ or correction of the signs of facial fat loss (lipoatrophy) in aging people (starting at 35 years!) and in people who suffer from the effects of the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It does not correct the underlying cause of the facial fat loss but will help improve the appearance by increasing volume under the skin in the treated areas.
Safety & comfort
Sculptra® is a very safe substance. Side effects are rare when administered competently. For this reason Sculptra® can only be obtained and used by trained and certified medical doctors (see certificate). For your comfort a small amount of lidocain is added to the Sculptra® solution to give an instantaneous anesthetic effect during injection. Because of this anesthetic you can experience a local numbness or a slight loss of muscle control in the treated area which will disappear after 30 – 60 minutes.
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The results from Sculptra® are not immediate. At your first treatment it may appear that Sculptra® had an immediate effect. This is caused by the swelling from the water used to reconstitute the Sculptra®. After 2-3 days, when the water is absorbed by your skin, the swelling goes down and you may look as you did before your treatment and you probably will think: ‘nothing has happened!’. Sculptra® starts to work the week to come by forming fibroblasts that will build up collagen in a slow process of several months. So you have to be patient and take into account that it takes time to gradually correct the depressions of your skin.
This is the reason that if you may need more Sculptra® injections, your first touch up can only be done after 8 weeks. In general you will need 2 or 3 vials of Sculptra® for a correction. Clients with severe facial fat loss may require more in three to six treatment sessions. In a clinical study the treatment results lasted for 2-4 years after the first treatment session in most clients. Touch-up treatments may be needed every 3-4 years to maintain the desired effect.
Risks
After the injection of Sculptra®, some common injection related reactions will probably occur such as swelling, redness, tenderness, and sometimes discoloration, around the injection site. These resolve spontaneously usually within 1 -10 days after the treatment. Sometimes a small blood vessel is touched during the injection which gives a small blue spot. This little bruising disappears after a couple of days and can be camouflaged easily with a good make-up foundation
Method
After filling out a health-related questionnaire and having your picture taken, the skin will be disinfected. Sculptra® is then injected with a thin needle (see picture at your left). Directly after treatment your doctor will exercise firm pressure to the treated area to mould the injected material. After the treatment you will get instructions how to massage the treated areas in order to obtain the best possible result. It is very important to follow these guidelines! You will have to massage the corrected areas with a moderate, smooth pressure using a moisturizing cream. During the first 10 days you will have to do this twice a day for 5 minutes and during the next 10 days once a day dor 5 minutes. After the session you have to avoid direct exposure to UV-light (use a factor 30), aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid; other painkillers like paracetamol are allowed!) and more than two glasses of alcohol daily for at least 24 hours.
Certificate Sculptra®
For working with Sculptra®, you have to complete a special course with good result, given by the manufacturer. P. Starrenburg, MD has been trained and recognized by Sanofi Aventis as certified doctor.
Special condition
Sculptra® has to be brought into a solution at least three days in advance, before it can be successfully injected into your skin. Therefore we make an appointment for treatment only after you payed the agreed fee.
Pricing
Your initial consultation is completely free and without obligation. A follow-up appointment without treatment is € 40.
For a complete overview of our pricing click here.
Payment
Preceding the treatment you can pay with a debit card (Maestro or V Pay, the replacement for the old PIN card), with a credit card (American Express, VISA or Master Card) or in cash to receive an invoice.