What do you do when you are not old enough to have a facelift, but you are starting to look worn out? You know need something done! If some of these thoughts have gone through your mind you are not alone. There are many people who fall exactly in this category. Perhaps they are in their late 30's or early 40's and they feel that they don't look as good as they used to, but they really don't feel right about doing something major. This is when a medicine like Sculptra comes into the picture.
As we age, one of the first places in our face to loose its youthful appearance is the cheek area. Sometimes you may see a dark line under your eyelids (the tear trough area), or you may find that your nasolabial lines (lines going from your nose to the corners of your mouth) are getting deeper and more pronounced. By putting sculptra in the face, you can plump up areas that are looking gaunt and bony, thereby retrieving the youthful 'cheekiness' you used to have.
Sculptra can restore the fullness of your face in a gradual fashion by allowing your body to deposit new collagen in the areas that have lost volume. Sculptra is a medicine that has been safely used for restoring facial fat atrophy for many years. Recently however, the usage has been expanded to cosmetic surgery. It is one of the longest lasting tissue fillers. Sculptra can last up to 2 years or more in your face. For this reason many people find it much more cost effective than using some of the shorter lasting tissue fillers.
Sculptra can be injected in the office under local anesthesia. The procedure takes about 1 hour to perform. Sculptra is usually given over a period of 2-3 months as multiple injections. In the first injection you receive 1 vial of Sculptra (about 5-8cc liquid depending on mixing protocol) on each side of the face. Subsequent injections of 1 vial are divided between the two sides of the face every 6 weeks. You may need additional injections however a total of 4 vials is a good place to start. You can go home immediately and do not have any down time. The postoperative pain and discomfort are easily controlled with oral pain medication.
