What Is Sculptra and What Can It Do For Me?

Sculptra is a facial injectable that has been used throughout Europe since 1999. Europe is known to have the newest Facial Fillers before the U.S. because of the lengthy testing that the FDA puts all facial injectables through.

It fills in sunken eyes, wrinkled skin folds, hollowed cheeks, and indented chin surfaces.

Sculptra is injected by a doctor into areas of facial fat loss (facial lipoatrophy) in patients with, or receiving treatment for, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Is Sculptra FDA Approved?

Yes, it was approved August 3rd, 2004.

How Long Does Sculptra Last?

Up to two years.

How Much Does Sculptra Cost?

Each syringe costs between $450 and $550. The amount that the plastic surgeon or dermatologist charges you will vary, but don’t expect to pay for just the syringes. It would be irresponsible for me to tell you how much it costs because it depends on how much the Doctor decides to inject, and how much they charge to do the procedure.

However on average the procedure costs between $750 and $1,900 per treatment. There are many ways to finance the procedure, from loans to even getting your insurance to pay for the procedure.

Before and After Photos of Sculptra Patients

I can’t host before and after pictures here due to legal reasons, but I found a ton of before and after pictures here.

What Are The Risks?

Side Effects are usually temporary, and if present will disappear within 3 to 15 days. You may have tenderness, redness, bruising or swelling at the site of the injection. Other side effects may include small bumps under the skin in the treated area which may appear over time. These bumps are not always visible, and often are only detected by pressing on the skin.

Areas that receive a Sculptra injection should be massaged a few times each day for several days after the procedure. Following the procedure an ice pack should be applied for a few minutes at a time to the treatment area to help reduce swelling for the first 24 hours after treatment. To avoid direct contact with the skin place the ice in a cloth. It is also recommend that excessive sun and/or UV lamp exposure be avoided until any visible swelling and redness has subsided. Sculptra has safely been used since 1999 in over 150,000 patients world-wide under the trade name New-Fill.

How Can I Find A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?

If you’re interested in the procedure and looking for a qualified plastic surgeon in your area use this search tool. This site is great, and it’s fun using their Google Maps ™ surgeon finder.

Board Certification is important, so make sure you research which boards are real and which are fake.

It’s called Aquamid ® and here in America it’s not well known. In Europe however, over 300,000 injections have been performed. It is used to contour the face and create more defined cheek bones. It’s also used for lip augmentation and chin augmentations to name a few. As of this update (September 9th, 2008) Aquamid is not FDA approved, but that doesn’t stop patients in Europe.

According to www.responsesource.com:

Aquamid® can be used to enhance and contour the face and create more defined cheekbones. The volume created comes mostly from water (97.5%) cross linked with Polyacrylamide to create a soft and uniform hydro gel that moves naturally with the face. As water is recognised by the body Aquamid® is readily accepted and forms a thin membrane around the implant which helps keep it in place, therefore preventing migration. In comparison to fillers containing micro particles, Aquamid® does not cause a foreign body reaction and will not cause tissue to harden. It simply becomes a soft and stable part of the tissue and remains in natural harmony with the body. Results achieved by Aqaumid® are instant and long lasting.

How long will it last then? It lasts at least four years according to a study published in 2004. 104 patients in the study that received the injections were asked after four years what they thought of the results. 78% said very good and 22% said good.

So what are you to do if you can’t make a trip to London anytime soon to get this filler? Ask any dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon if they have it for off-label use. Sometimes they will bring it back from medical conferences in Europe. You can also wait for the FDA to approve this filler, as they are expected to approve it eventually.

Check out this article about new facial fillers that are on the way.

Let’s forget about political issues and let’s take a look at the real story here.
Did she get plastic surgery done?
It sure looks like it. After all, how else can you age 24 years without looking a day older?

On the right is a before and after picture, of 24 years. Her eyes are just as big, forehead just as smooth, under the eyes just as full, as 24 years ago. I doubt she’s had major plastic surgery done, such as a face lift. The only sign of aging is that her smile has perhaps a few more wrinkles. These all look filled in with some kind of facial filler. If I had to guess as to which facial filler she had done, I’d say Juvederm for the area around her cheeks and under her eyes, and Botox for any wrinkles around the eyes and forehead.

Regardless of any plastic surgery she’s had done, there is also a good possibility that she has had nothing done to her face at all. Is the cold and crisp Alaskan air preserving beauty like some sort of air borne “Fountain of Youth”?
I doubt it.
I’m sure many will disagree with me when I say she has to have been under the needle. How could anyone resist looking young when the cost of facial fillers is so low?
You be the judge.