Type
Collagen biostimulator
Material
Poly-L-lactic acid
Series
Up to 4 sessions
Spacing
At least 4 weeks apart
Results
Gradual, over months
Studied through
25 months after last session
Aftercare
Massage 5-5-5
Why patients choose Sculptra
Collagen is what gives young skin its structure, and the body makes less of it every year. Sculptra is poly-L-lactic acid, a biocompatible material used in dissolvable sutures for decades. It is supplied as a powder, reconstituted in the office before your appointment, and placed into the deep dermis in a cross-hatch pattern. There it acts as a scaffold that prompts a gradual collagen response. Galderma describes it as the first proven regenerative biostimulator.
Nasolabial folds — the lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth
Marionette lines and creasing through the lower face
Hollowness in the cheeks or temples
A face that has thinned overall rather than in one spot
Volume loss following significant weight loss
A preference for change that arrives quietly, over months
Because Sculptra builds volume through your own collagen, results are natural and not stiff or plastic looking. It works across an area rather than shaping a single feature. Sculptra Aesthetic is FDA-approved for immune-competent people, for correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles suited to a deep dermal cross-hatch injection technique. Treatment of other areas of the face is common in practice and would be discussed with you at your consultation.
Who is a good candidate?
Sculptra suits patients who want gradual change rather than an immediate one, and who are willing to complete a short series of treatments.
Comfortable with gradual change rather than same-day results
Able to commit to a series of sessions several weeks apart
Immune-competent, and willing to massage the treated areas at home
No active infection, cyst, rash, or inflammation at the treatment site
No hypersensitivity to any component of Sculptra
No history of, or susceptibility to, keloid or hypertrophic scarring
Not pregnant or breastfeeding
How we think about it
Sculptra does not offer instant results. What it does offer is long lasting results, that provide a smooth, soft, youthful and natural appearance. Patients who understand that from the start are the ones happiest with it.
Sculptra is not a filler
How volume appears
Sculptra · Your own collagen, built over months
Dermal filler · The gel itself, immediately
Timing
Sculptra · Gradual, across a series
Dermal filler · Same day
Best suited to
Sculptra · Broad volume loss across the face
Dermal filler · Shaping a specific feature
Reversibility
Sculptra · Not reversible
Dermal filler · Hyaluronic acid types can be dissolved
Related treatments
What a treatment involves
Most patients complete a series of up to four sessions, spaced at least four weeks apart. Your injector reassesses before planning the next one, and the number you need depends on the extent of your facial folds and lines.
A consultation to map where volume has been lost and decide whether Sculptra is the right choice
Product reconstituted in the office ahead of your appointment
Topical numbing, if you would like it
Injection into the deep dermis in a cross-hatch pattern across the treatment area
Massage and an ice pack in the office afterward
Your injector reassesses at least four weeks later before planning the next session
Afterward
There is little downtime. The immediate fullness you see on the day of treatment is the carrying solution, and it settles within a few days — the real change arrives later.
Return to normal activity the same day
Swelling, redness, tenderness, or small bruises, typically resolving within hours to about two weeks
Massage the treated areas in a circular motion for 5 minutes, 5 times a day, for 5 days after each session
Makeup a few hours later, if there are no complications
Limit sun, UV lamps, and extreme temperatures until any swelling or redness has settled
The original depression may briefly reappear before the collagen response builds
The fullness fading after the first few days is expected, not a sign the treatment failed. Collagen builds over the weeks that follow.
Sculptra is a Galderma product, so treatments earn points through ASPIRE, Galderma’s free rewards program — as do Dysport and the Restylane fillers. We also participate in Allē and REVA, so ask which applies to your treatment plan. aspirerewards.com
Sculptra FAQs.
No. A dermal filler adds volume the moment it is placed, because the material itself occupies the space. Sculptra is a collagen stimulator. The poly-L-lactic acid is gradually absorbed by the body, and the volume you end up with is collagen your own tissue has produced in response.
Sculptra does not offer instant results. Any fullness on the day of treatment is the liquid the product is mixed in, and it resolves within a few days. The collagen response builds over the following weeks, with change usually becoming visible after the second session and continuing after the series is finished.
Most patients complete a series of up to four sessions. Your injector reassesses at least four weeks after each session before deciding whether another is needed. The number depends on the extent of your facial folds and lines, which is determined at your consultation.
Sculptra is FDA-approved to correct nasolabial folds and other facial wrinkles suited to a deep dermal cross-hatch technique. In practice it is also widely used to restore hollowness in the cheeks and temples. It is not used in the lips: safety and effectiveness there have not been established, and it must not be injected into the red part of the lip.
Sculptra has been studied for up to 25 months after the last injection session, and results within that window are well documented. Effectiveness beyond that point has not been investigated in clinical trials. Because the volume is your own collagen, it changes at the pace your tissue does, rather than dissolving on a set schedule.
No. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, but Sculptra cannot, because there is no gel to dissolve. This is one reason treatment is built gradually across a series rather than delivered all at once.
Yes. They address different things. Tox softens lines made by muscle movement, fillers shape a specific feature, and Sculptra restores overall volume. Galderma's HIT protocol pairs Sculptra with Restylane for exactly this reason. The sequence is planned at your consultation.
Injection site reactions are the most common: swelling, redness, tenderness, bruising, bleeding, or lumps at the injection site. The reaction specific to Sculptra is small papules and nodules under the skin, which can appear days to months after treatment. These are usually not visible and are noticed only by pressing on the area, but visible nodules have been reported and can take a long time to resolve. In a five-year study of Sculptra Aesthetic, nodules or papules were reported in 28.5% of patients across all treated areas. Report any lump, discoloration, or change to your injector.
Dr. Sandel. He is the only injector in the practice who performs Sculptra, and every treatment in a series is given by him.
Important safety information
Indication. Sculptra® Aesthetic (injectable poly-L-lactic acid) is indicated for use in immune-competent people as a single regimen for correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles in which a deep dermal grid pattern (cross-hatch) injection technique is appropriate.
Contraindications. Sculptra Aesthetic should not be used by people with a hypersensitivity to any of its components, or with a known history of or susceptibility to keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring. Treatment should be deferred at sites where an active inflammatory process or infection is present.
Warnings. Sculptra Aesthetic must not be injected into blood vessels. As with any soft tissue filler, introduction of product into the vasculature may lead to embolization, vessel occlusion, ischemia, or infarction. Rare but serious events have been reported, including temporary or permanent vision impairment, blindness, cerebral ischemia or hemorrhage leading to stroke, skin necrosis, and damage to underlying facial structures. Tell your provider immediately about changes in vision, signs of a stroke, blanching of the skin, or unusual pain during or shortly after the procedure.
Precautions. Safety and effectiveness in the lips have not been established; Sculptra must not be injected into the red area of the lip. Use in the peri-orbital area has not been studied. Long-term safety and effectiveness beyond 25 months after the last injection have not been investigated in clinical trials.
Side effects. The most common are injection site reactions: swelling, redness, tenderness, bruising, bleeding, and lumps. Delayed subcutaneous papules and nodules have been reported days to months after injection and may take a prolonged time to resolve. Report any lump, discoloration, or other change to your provider.
Sculptra Aesthetic is available only by prescription. This page is a summary and not a substitute for the full product labeling. Ask us for the patient labeling and full Instructions for Use, or contact Galderma Laboratories, L.P., Fort Worth, TX at 1-855-425-8722.
Sculptra®, Restylane®, and HIT™ are trademarks of Galderma. Logo used with permission. Sandel Duggal Center for Plastic Surgery is an independent practice and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Galderma.
Dr. Henry Sandel
Facial Plastic Surgeon
Your injector
The same hands, first session to last.
Sculptra is a series rather than a single appointment, given over about three to four sessions with results building across the months that follow. Dr. Sandel performs all of them, so the person who assesses your face at the first session is the person injecting at the last.
He injects the face he operates on, and plans a Sculptra series against the same facial anatomy he treats surgically.
Meet Dr. Sandel →Find out what is right for you.
Sculptra here is injected by Dr. Sandel. During a consultation he will discuss your goals and determine whether Sculptra, a filler, or a combination is the better route.