Sculptra
To replace lost volume
Sculptra, previously called New-Fill, is not a dermal filler.
It is a unique injectable cosmetic medical product based on lactic acid which works from deep within the skin to increase collagen production.
It is immunologically inert, so that no allergy tests are necessary before commencing treatment and it is not made from any animal or human derivatives.
Lactic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body which is produced all the time as a result of metabolism.
In Sculptra, molecules of lactic acid have been linked together into long chains to form poly-lactic acid which is the active ingredient.
The product is manufactured as a sterile dry white powder which must be mixed with sterile water to form a watery injection mixture and this mixing must take place at least 12 hours prior to your treatment. Once mixed, the prepared product will have to be discarded if you are unable to attend your appointment. You will therefore be asked to pay 50% of your total treatment cost at least 24 hours prior to your appointment time to enable us to go ahead and prepare the product.
When Sculptra is injected into the areas requiring treatment, it works from deep within the skin to stimulate new collagen production.
The collagen producing cells in the skin recognise the presence of the introduced poly-lactic acid molecules and they then respond by forming new collagen around them. This results in thicker, firmer and often tighter skin in the areas treated.
The injections are not painful as we use an anaesthetic cream to pre-numb the skin and we also add a local anaesthetic solution to the injection mixture.
Sculptra can be used to smooth, firm and tighten areas of the face, to increase volume in sunken areas and to restore the skin’s natural elasticity.
It is best used in the cheeks and/or temples to treat sunken hollows which can arise as a result of natural aging or illness and to create a fuller and more youthfully shaped face. It can also be used to create higher cheekbones as well to help to lift nose to mouth lines and jowls.
The results of each treatment are not immediate, but gradually become visible within 6 to 8 weeks.
To achieve a slight correction, only one session of treatment may be required, but to produce more profound effects, multiple treatments are needed, at 6 to 8 weekly intervals, until the desired result is obtained.
With multiple treatments, even very sunken areas can be successfully improved and thin, slack and sagging skin can be tightened.
The effects of Sculptra treatment are not permanent but usually last for at least 2 to 3 years.
Over many months, the poly-lactic acid is gradually broken down by natural enzymes in the skin to single molecules of lactic acid which are then metabolised. The product is therefore fully bio-degradable.
Even after this has happened, the new collagen that has been formed in the skin will still persist for some time before it eventually starts to degrade.
When the effects of treatment do eventually begin to decline, top-up treatment/s can be carried out to maintain the original result.
Fewer treatments will be required than was needed to achieve the initial correction if maintenance treatment is done before all the results of the original treatment have been lost.
