Aesthetic Procedures

Sculptra® Aesthetic

What is Sculptra® Aesthetic?

Gillespie Plastic Surgery is proud to introduce you to Sculptra® Aesthetic. “Welcome to the new age of anti-age”. Sculptra is the first facial injectable that gives your noticeable, long-lasting results over time. It works gradually by replacing lost collagen. This gradual transformation process gives you a more youthful, natural-looking appearance that emerges subtly, and can last 2 years more.

Collagen is the key element in skin that gives your face shape, and provides it with volume. At about age 30, collagen begins to break down. As a result, wrinkles, lines and folds gradually appear, and worsen over time. Most injectables can fill these wrinkles, lines, and folds. Sculptra Aesthetic works differently. It gradually replaces lost collagen and reinforces your skin’s support structure. This reinforced collagen structure provides a foundation that gradually restores the look of fullness to your facial wrinkles and folds, thus providing a refined, refreshed, and more youthful-looking appearance.

Sculptra Aesthetic is made from poly-L-lactic acid, or PLLA. PLLA is a biocompatible, biodegradable synthetic material that has been used medically for decades. It is a main component in dissolvable sutures and medical implants. PLLA has been used cosmetically in Europe since 1999, and was approved for cosmetic use in the United States in 2009.

Each Sculptra Aesthetic injection session works to gradually improve the overall appearance of facial wrinkles and folds. Because the process is gradual, the effects of Sculptra are achieved through completing a full course of injection treatments as recommended by your health care professional. On average, three injection sessions are needed over a period of a few months, but your professional will tailor the sessions to best suit your needs, thus maximizing your desired outcome. Because each treatment session builds on the last, it is important to return for all your scheduled treatment sessions as instructed by your provider.

After each treatment session with Sculptra Aesthetic, there are a few easy things that you will be required to do at home in order to maximize your desired treatment results. Within the first 24 hours of treatment, apply a cloth-wrapped ice pack to the treated areas for a few minutes at a time, several times throughout the day. Never apply ice directly to the skin. The cold pack will feel soothing to your skin, as well as help reduce swelling that is common following injections. Your provider will also instruct you on gentle facial massage techniques following your treatment. It will be very important for you to self-massage the treated areas for several days following each treatment. Regular self- massage will discourage any small lumps or bumps from forming underneath the skin. Massage specifics will be discussed with you at time of treatment. Please avoid excess sunlight and UV exposure following your treatments. Protecting your skin from the sun is always important, but after treatment it is especially important to use sun protection until any initial swelling and redness at injection sites has resolved. Following your providers’ aftercare instructions will help to ensure a positive treatment result.