Are you unhappy with the way aging is changing your skin? At The Mack Cosmetic Center in Tampa, FL, we may have the right solution for you. Our Sculptra treatments can help you look and feel much younger. This is what you need to know.
How Long Does Sculptra Last?
There are no dermal fillers that can provide permanent results, but there are certainly some that last longer than others. If you’d like to try something that’s going to offer you effective and long-term results, you should consider getting this dermal filler.
Depending on where you are getting your injections and how your skin responds, you can expect to enjoy your Sculptra results for up to two years.
Why Is My Skin Changing?
Aging brings along a lot of changes. One of the changes you’ll notice is a change in the way your skin looks and feels. Your skin contains several different chemicals, all of which work together to help it stay full, healthy, and elastic. One of the most important chemicals is collagen.
Collagen is a protein that keeps skin elastic, meaning it can smooth out when the muscles beneath are relaxed. The older you get, however, the less good your skin is at producing collagen. When this is combined with repeated facial movements along with the effects of gravity, you’ll start to notice wrinkling as well as issues like sagging.
What Is Sculptra, Exactly?
This is a dermal filler that’s injected into the skin with a small needle to ensure precision during the treatment process. Its main ingredient is poly-L-lactic acid or PLLA. It was originally formulated in 1999 to help people living with HIV who were experiencing lipoatrophy, or a thinning of the face.
In 2014, it was approved to treat cosmetic concerns like wrinkles and folds on the face. When it’s injected, it stimulates your body’s production of collagen. This makes your skin firmer and more elastic, in turn helping it stay youthful-looking.
What Will Happen During Treatment?
How to Prepare
Before you can receive injections of this filler, you’ll need to prepare in the days leading up to your appointment. When you visit our clinic, we’ll hold an initial consultation with you to discuss your goals and expectations and provide you with instructions on how to prepare.
For the 24 to 48 hours leading up to your appointment, you’ll need to avoid certain substances. Things like aspirin, fish oil, vitamin E, and St. John’s wort can all thin your blood and make you much more prone to bruising. This is also true for alcohol and tobacco. Avoid these substances to keep your treatment as safe and effective as possible.
Your Appointment
When you arrive at our clinic, we’ll do everything we can to keep you as comfortable as possible. Before applying the product to your desired areas, we’ll carefully prepare your skin by cleaning it thoroughly. This will remove any bacteria or grime that’s built up on your face before your appointment. We may also apply a topical numbing cream.
After we’ve prepared your skin, we’ll start to apply the product. We’ll inject small amounts of it at a time using a very small needle to ensure accuracy. The treatment should be pain-free, and you should only feel a slight pinching sensation. Treatment will be fast, with most appointments lasting under an hour.
After Your Appointment
This Sculptra treatment is non-invasive, which means you don’t need to worry about an extensive or uncomfortable healing process once your treatment is complete. As soon as your appointment, you can leave our clinic and get back to your regular life. There will just be a few things for you to remember.
The most important thing to remember is that your skin is going to be more sensitive than usual over the next few days. This means that you’ll have to stay out of direct sunlight and avoid any activities that could make you sweat excessively.
What Areas Can Be Treated?
Temples
There are several areas that you can target with this injectable. As you get older, you may notice that the skin around your temples begins to thin. This may be a subtle change, but it’s still one that can drastically affect your appearance.
To help keep a younger appearance, you can get injections of this filler in the area. It will help your temple area look much fuller.
Cheeks
Another area where you’re going to lose a significant amount of fullness is your cheek area. When you’re young, you’ll notice that you have full, round cheeks. But the older you get, the more volume you lose, which can make you appear gaunt.
If you don’t like this change in your appearance, consider getting injections of this filler. Not only will it put more volume into your cheeks, but it will also firm up your skin and help it stay elastic.
Smile Lines
Smile lines, laugh lines, or nasolabial folds, are the parallel lines that you’ll start to see over time between your nose and your mouth. Because this part of your face is so mobile, these wrinkles are often some of the first to appear on your face.
Unfortunately, they can make you look far older than you feel. This filler will smooth out these lines and help you look and feel much younger.
Marionette Lines
These are the lines that run from the corners of your mouth toward your chin. They can severely affect your appearance especially as they become more prominent over time.
Anyone looking for an effective solution to lessen the appearance of their marionette lines should think about this injectable. Getting this filler in your chin area can also help you maintain a much more defined-looking chin.
Jowls
As the skin on your cheeks gets looser, you’ll likely start to notice the appearance of jowls. These can be particularly frustrating to see, and they might be affecting your self-confidence.
If you don’t like the way your jowls are making you look, consider getting this treatment. When you get injections in your cheeks, it will lift any sagging skin and reduce or possibly even eliminate the appearance of jowls that may have been forming. With your jowls gone, this will help your jawline appear smoother and more defined.
Off-Label Uses
This injectable is primarily used to target cosmetic concerns on the face. However, it does also have some off-label uses. You can use it to target other areas of your body to help reduce wrinkling and sagging and maintain an overall younger appearance.
You may be able to get injections of this product to get nonsurgical butt lifts as well as to reduce the appearance of cellulite. It’s also possible to use this filler to target wrinkles on your chest, knees, and elbows. Some people may even seek out treatment if they are looking to bulk up and appear more muscular.
When Will I See Results?
In most cases, you’ll see a difference in the way your skin looks as soon as you get your treatment. The product takes up space under your loose skin right away, tightening it and making it appear younger and smoother.
However, this will not be the full results of your treatment. After a few weeks, your complete results will be apparent. Most treatment plans will consist of three injection appointments that span 3 to 4 months.
What Will My Results Be Like?
One of the best things about this injectable is that it’s easy to customize to fit your exact needs. During our consultation, we’ll discuss what you’re looking to get from your treatment to ensure that we apply the treatment correctly.
It Is Safe?
One of the biggest concerns for anyone seeking out a cosmetic treatment is whether or not that treatment is safe. This filler was specifically formulated to be safe for people with HIV, meaning it’s safe even for people with certain medical conditions to take.
As long as you are not allergic to any of the ingredients, you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, you aren’t currently experiencing any skin conditions, and you seek treatment from a reputable clinic, it will be completely safe.
Call Us Today
Sculptra is a great way to maintain a more youthful appearance and look and feel more confident in your skin. If you’re ready to talk about your treatment options, our clinic is here for you. Get in touch today with The Mack Cosmetic Center in Tampa, FL.
