If you're considering or have decided to undergo Sculptra, a facial filler treatment to correct skin folds, sunken eyes, an indented chin and/or hallowed cheeks, you should know what to expect before your first treatment. Understanding how you'll be treated can help you prepare.
What Does the Treatment Use?
Before you can understand how Sculptra is performed, you need to know about the tools and the materials that will be used during the procedure. The primary material is of course the facial filler itself, which is a Poly-L-lactic compound. Poly-L-lactic was initially developed for soft tissue implants and dissolvable stitches and is completely bio-compatible in that it can be naturally absorbed by the body. This is because a form of Poly-L-lactic is produced naturally by the body, especially after rigorous muscle movement. Over time in excess, Poly-L-lactic can help thicken tissue.
The other tools involved in the procedure are a specialized syringe and, if you choose and/or your cosmetic specialist recommends that you be numbed during the procedure, an injectable anesthetic agent.
Step 1: Spot Marking
The first step during your treatment session (after consultation) is spot marking. Your cosmetic specialist will take a special marker and dot the area(s) of your face to be treated, typically in a curvy line around the sunken or lined areas of your face.
Step 2: Anesthetic
If you're going to be using anesthetic, which is likely during this procedure, the first step after spot marking is the application of the anesthetic. Your cosmetic specialist may inject the anesthetic locally at the area(s) you will be treated, or she may give you what's called an infraorbital nerve block, which is an injection through the upper part of your mouth (in front of the teeth) up into the nerves in your cheek and undereye area. (This type of injection is used for undereye and cheek treatment.)
Step 3: Injections
Your cosmetic specialist will begin treatment as soon as you've numbed, which should be quite shortly after you've received anesthetic. She will start following the marked line and inject a pre-measured amount of the Sculptra filler into the layer of skin between the outer dermis and the subcutis layer. She will perform one injection at a time.
Step 4: Massage
After each injection, your cosmetic specialist will take a cotton swab and massage the area. This will help the Sculptra filler permeate the area.
Step 5: Repeat
Your cosmetic specialist will then repeat the injection and massage steps as many times as necessary. (The larger the treated area, the more injections will be necessary.) The entire session will last a quarter of an hour to half an hour.
After your first Sculptra session, you may be instructed to continue massaging the area and to apply an ice pack for a day. However, you can resume most normal activities so long as you wear sunscreen. One session is not enough to provide optimal results; you must come back for at least three to six sessions total (spaced three to six weeks apart) and maintenance visits every two years.
If you're considering or have decided to undergo Sculptra?, a facial filler treatment to correct skin folds, sunken eyes, an indented chin and/or hallowed cheeks, you should know what to expect before your first treatment. Understanding how you'll be treated and why each step is necessary can help you prepare.
What Does the Treatment Use
Before you can understand how Sculptra? is performed, you need to know about the tools and the materials that will be used during the procedure. The primary material is of course the facial filler itself, which is a Poly-L-lactic compound. Poly-L-lactic was initially developed for soft tissue implants and dissovable stitches and is completely bio-compatible in that it can be naturally absorbved by the body. This is because a form of Poly-L-lactic is produced naturally by the body, especially after rigorous muscle movement. Over time in excess, Poly-L-lactic can help thicken tissue.
The other tools involved in the procedure are a specialized syringe and, if you choose and/or your cosmetic sepcialist recommends that you be numbed during the procedure, an injectable antisthetic agent.
Step 1: Spot Marking
The first step during your treatment session (after consultation) is spot marking. Your cosmetic specialist will take a special marker and dot the area(s) of your face to be treated, typically in a curvy line around the sunken or lined areas.
Step 2: Antisthetic
If you're going to be using antisthetic, which is likely during this procedure, the first step after spot marking is the application of the antisthetic. Your cosmetic specialist may inject the antisthetic locally at the area(s) you will be treated or she may give you what's called an infraorbital nerve block, which is an injectrion through the upper part of your mouth (in front of the teeth) up into the nerves in your cheek and undereye area. (This type of injection is used for undereye and cheek treatment.)
Step 3: Injections
Your cosmetic specialist will begin treatment as soon as you've numbed, which should be quite shortly after you've received antishetic.
Part of knowing how Sculptra? is performed is simply to prepare yourself for the procedure. Another part is so that you'll have realistic expectations and be able to weigh any cons of the procedure against the pros before you decide to make the time and financial investment necessary for the procedure.
