SCULPTRA: Hollywood Rejuvenation Hit
Ultrasound lifting as an alternative for surgical rejuvenation
Why Sculptra has been considered as the best injection skin induration technique for a long time?
First of all it should be mentioned that Sculptra is a preparation of poly-L-lactic acid approved for use by FDA (Food and Drug Administration)—an entity legalizing application of medical preparations and technologies. FDA is one of the strictest supervisory bodies in US medicine as it demands long clinical examinations and hard evidence of efficiency. It has been proven that polylactic acid causes histological tissue induration when administered intradermally. This means that scientists are well aware of the fact that in the locations of applying the preparation a required layer of additional collagen is formed. It tightens skin and practically "erases" wrinkles from skin surface. So Sculptra causes an effect of biological rejuvenation due to own body resources. This is a very valuable factor of natural facial rejuvenation.
With age (approximately at the age of 35-40) the fatty tissue of the cheek and cheekbone area is mummified. This leads to ptosis of the middle zone so as pronounced sulcus lacrimalis and nasal labial folds. These phenomena can be corrected with polylactic acid.
Peculiarities of applying the preparation
Absence of swelling after the procedure is one of the hard evidences of the advantages of applying Sculptra, i.e. unlike hyaluronic, polylactic acid does not cause influent at the location of the injection. Due to this the preparation is perfectly suitable for treating wide facial, body or even wrist surfaces. According to The Platinental, the best way of administering Sculptra is the reinforcement technology allowing distributing the preparation uniformly among the facial tissues. It is recommended to focus on the most movable facial and neck areas: crow's feet, nasolabial triangle and the all over the neck.
Polylactic acid based fillers are administered using thin dermatologic cannulas so the procedure is practically painless. If the patient takes aspirin-containing preparations, this can cause bruise formation so make sure that you have completely excluded ibuprofen, vitamin E, cod liver oil preparations (Omega-3).
After the procedure it is very important to massage the area of administration for avoiding lumps and visible irregularities from the preparation in the future.
Sculptra counterparts on Anti Age market
Currently there are a few counterparts of the US Sculptra preparation. Sculptra preparation (South Korea) is considered to be among the most reliable ones. It is produced with several exposures, but usually a 200 mg dose is applied. This counterpart is very convenient in application due to the special form of the preparation pack size. It is produced in a vial in form of balls which uniformly dissolve in a normal saline solution before administration. The polylactic acid balls in the vial are working as a shaker for sport supplements thus allowing all filler components to dissolve without lumps. This makes further preparation administration with thinnest cannulas easier.
Indications and contra-indications
Direct indications to the procedure:
- Skin sagginess
- Rugulose aging type
- Surface and deep sulci in facial smile areas.
Polylactic acid gives a very natural rejuvenation effect which conservative and male patients highly appreciate.
The preparation is efficient for patients unsusceptible to botulinum toxin (especially in the area of eye and forehead wrinkles).
It is very important to choose the right clinic and beautician when working with the filler as lack of experience in applying Sculptra can cause such complications as pathologic cicatrization (in case of a too superficial administration) or, vice versa, full absence of the effect from the procedure. It is especially important to choose proper preparation pack size when treating thin skin of lower lids and neck.
Do not inject the preparation in the lips for correcting their volume.
Recommended course of procedures
For a stable effect it is recommended to take a course of 3 procedures within a 3-month term, i.e. one procedure per month will provide a prolonged skin-lifting effect and improve its elastic properties.
The procedure can be repeated with a yearly interval.
As a rule, patients notice the main effect from the procedure at once, but in 5-8 weeks after the first injection the result becomes stronger. This is related to the process of stimulating skin collagen.
The effect duration may change in any certain case and depends on the volume of the preparation administered. In average, patients claim that the aesthetic result of the course lasts up to 2-3 years.
Compatibility of the preparation with machine lifting
We have accumulated a rather extensive experience of applying Sculptra and its counterparts with programs of ultrasound lifting (HIFU therapy), fractional RF lifting, laser rejuvenation (CO2 thermolysis), IPL and other impacts. The beautician chooses the best course of the procedure based on age, tissue state, pigmentation, skin vessels.
Also, facial reinforcing with polylactic acid is very efficient for preventing further tissue ptosis after a previously performed surgical facelifting and supporting its results.
The Platinental clinic specialists
