Q. Is one session of Sculptra enough? I am 40 and recently had 1 syringe of Restylane injected into my tear troughs. I was unhappy with the results and the dermatologist said it’s because filling the tear troughs made the slight flattening of my cheeks more prominent. She offered me 1 syringe of Sculptra free of charge for my cheeks and said I would probably be able to do 1 syringe once a year but I have read that Sculptra needs multiple treatment sessions. For volume loss in cheeks, can Sculptra ever be injected just one time per year?
A. Every patient’s needs are different and unique. Without photos and more importantly a proper evaluation of your skin texture, facial volume and laxity it is unwise to comment on your concerns.
Each physician has their own talents and skill levels. The growing array of products makes matching your needs to the product and its injection more complex.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers such as Restylane have moderate projection and therefore can cause blue tinting of the skin (tindel effect) and tiny / small nodular or tubular elevation in the skin, particularly when injected superficially for the tear trough fold. My technique is to inject greater projecting HA’s such as Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Perlane deep to the muscles which push the fold up rather than try to fill the trough in.
While Sculptra falls into the filler category when the FDA approved it decades ago, it really acts as a bio-stimulant of cells to produce the scaffolding of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and other dermal molecules lost during aging. These will firm the skin rather than fill the tissue layers of the skin. I find that multiple vials and multiple sessions are required to achieve the desired results and then yearly boosts retain the dermal cellular machinery to continuously stimulate dermal molecule production. I do not use Sculptra as a primary volume filler.
Another option to be considered is fat grafting which promotes both filling and firming.
I hope this has been helpful. Please consult with a well experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist for examination and recommendations.
All the best! Is one session of Sculptra enough?
Q. Is one session of Sculptra enough? I am 40 and recently had 1 syringe of Restylane injected into my tear troughs. I was unhappy with the results and the dermatologist said it’s because filling the tear troughs made the slight flattening of my cheeks more prominent. She offered me 1 syringe of Sculptra free of charge for my cheeks and said I would probably be able to do 1 syringe once a year but I have read that Sculptra needs multiple treatment sessions. For volume loss in cheeks, can Sculptra ever be injected just one time per year?
A. Every patient’s needs are different and unique. Without photos and more importantly a proper evaluation of your skin texture, facial volume and laxity it is unwise to comment on your concerns.
Each physician has their own talents and skill levels. The growing array of products makes matching your needs to the product and its injection more complex.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers such as Restylane have moderate projection and therefore can cause blue tinting of the skin (tindel effect) and tiny / small nodular or tubular elevation in the skin, particularly when injected superficially for the tear trough fold. My technique is to inject greater projecting HA’s such as Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Perlane deep to the muscles which push the fold up rather than try to fill the trough in.
While Sculptra falls into the filler category when the FDA approved it decades ago, it really acts as a bio-stimulant of cells to produce the scaffolding of collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and other dermal molecules lost during aging. These will firm the skin rather than fill the tissue layers of the skin. I find that multiple vials and multiple sessions are required to achieve the desired results and then yearly boosts retain the dermal cellular machinery to continuously stimulate dermal molecule production. I do not use Sculptra as a primary volume filler.
Another option to be considered is fat grafting which promotes both filling and firming.
I hope this has been helpful. Please consult with a well experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist for examination and recommendations.
All the best! 
