How Long Do Sculptra Results Last?

Sculptra is a poly-L lactic acid-based dermal filler approved by the FDA in August 2004. It has several applications and was originally designed to augment the cheeks after extreme weight loss. At North Dallas Dermatology Associates in Dallas, TX, we use this injectable to restore volume loss caused by weight loss and treat wrinkles and severely sagging skin. Read on to learn more about what this treatment does and how often you will need maintenance.

How Long Do Sculptra Results Last?

Individual results vary, but it is completely reasonable to expect your final results to last two years. However, if you take good care of your overall health and the health of your skin, the final results can easily last five years. In fact, some clients have enjoyed results that lasted an astonishing seven years!

Among the factors that affect how long the final results of your treatment last include your age, the dose you received, the location of the injections, the cosmetic concerns you are addressing, the severity of the conditions being treated and the health of your skin. Here’s a closer look at how long you can expect the final results of your treatment to last depending on the areas you targeted.

The Temples

When using this injectable to lift and restore volume to sunken temples, you can expect the final results of your treatment to last around two years. While this doesn’t hold a candle to the durability of non-invasive cheek augmentation, they last a lot longer than hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers. Such dermal fillers can’t fill in sunken temples effectively, and the results of such treatments only last six to 18 months.

The Cheeks

This treatment was originally designed to augment the cheeks non-invasively. Specifically, it was designed to restore cheek volume in individuals who lost a significant amount of weight rapidly due to severe illness. The results of these injections into and around the cheeks can last up to seven years but usually last around five or five-and-a-half years.

More excitingly, these injections don’t just add volume to hollow cheeks. Since they encourage your skin to produce collagen, they can also lift sagging cheek skin. If you have any concern about the appearance of your cheeks, cheekbones or the skin around your cheeks, you may be a good candidate for this treatment.

The Jawline

Another area commonly treated with poly-L lactic acid injections is the jawline. Whether you’re trying to lift sagging skin to enhance the prominence of the jawline or you wish to eliminate wrinkles forming around your chin, this treatment can enhance your appearance for approximately five years.

The results of your treatment may last up to seven years if you are also targeting your cheeks. When volume is added to your cheeks, the skin around your jaw is lifted naturally.

The Chest

One of the first areas to show the signs of aging is the chest. The skin is so thin that it can start to wrinkle in your 30s. This is particularly common in individuals who frequently used tanning beds or sunbathed for years with suntan lotion rather than wearing sunscreen and minimizing sun exposure.

We’ll get to the effects of the sun on how old your skin looks in a minute. For right now, we’d just like to mention that you can expect the results of injections in your décolleté region to last approximately two to five years. If you make a point to take care of your skin health, you can realistically expect the results of your treatment to last closer to five years than two.

What Can I Do to Extend the Durability of the Results?

To extend the results of your treatment, you need to make maintaining your skin health a priority. While you can’t stop the aging process, there are several things you can do to slow it down drastically. To summarize succinctly, this treatment improves the appearance of your skin by encouraging it to produce collagen. To improve the durability of your results, take steps to maintain the health of your collagen. Here are some actionable steps.

Wear Sunscreen

One of the best things you can do to maintain the health of your collagen is to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen when you go outside. It’s important that you wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen because some sunscreens do not protect your skin from UV-C rays, the rays of the sun that damage your skin’s collagen. The broad-spectrum sunscreen you choose should have an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 35, but more protection is always better.

For the best results, make sure the sunscreen that you’re using isn’t expired. As it ages, it becomes less effective. You should also ensure that you are storing your sunscreen properly. Keeping your sunscreen in a cool, dry place also keeps it working as well as it should; do not store your sunscreen in the bathroom where moisture and heat are common.

Avoid Tobacco Products

One of the worst things you can do for the health and appearance of your skin is consuming tobacco products. Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco are the two worst things of all due to the sheer number of harmful chemicals in the products. However, consuming nicotine in any form, be it e-liquid, nicotine gum or nicotine patches, is terrible for the health of your skin.

Nicotine impacts the appearance of your skin negatively in several ways. First, it weakens your collagen. Weak collagen is one of the primary causes of sagging skin, wrinkles and volume loss. The other most significant factor affecting the texture of your skin is the amount of collagen your skin produces. Unfortunately, your body can’t produce adequate quantities of collagen while it is trying to flush nasty chemicals (like nicotine) out.

Minimize Alcohol Consumption

For the longest-lasting Sculptra results, drink responsibly. Females should consume no more than one unit of alcohol daily and men should consume no more than two units of alcohol daily. If you’re drinking more than one unit of alcohol daily, make sure you drink eight ounces of water between units of alcohol. You should also make a point to drink a cup of water before and after drinking.

Like nicotine, there are several reasons why alcohol is horrendous for the health of your skin. Alcohol is a toxin, and your body treats it as such. To rid itself of the toxin as efficiently as possible, excessive urination occurs. The first problem with this is dehydration is likely to occur. Healthy skin contains 64% water, and dehydration slows the collagen production process. Furthermore, excessive urination flushes out micronutrients essential to collagen production.

Eat Plenty of Protein

Another way to extend the durability of your treatment results is to eat plenty of protein. Since collagen is a protein, your skin can’t make strong collagen without you including plenty of collagen in your diet. Great foods to support your skin’s collagen production system include bone broth, egg whites, chicken, fish and shellfish.

Eat Plenty of Fruits

You should also include plenty of fruits in your diet. Specifically, tropical fruits, berries and citrus fruits are very high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient that produces pro-collagen, the precursor to collagen. If you’re deficient in vitamin C before your treatment, your skin won’t be able to receive the full benefits of treatment.

Eat Lots of Garlic

If you like garlic, make a point to add it to your meals most nights. Garlic is a fairly decent source of sulfur, but you’ll have to eat a lot of it to get enough benefits. Sulfur is a trace nutrient that both helps your skin synthesize collagen and prevents its breakdown. When you find a recipe that calls for fresh garlic, double the amount.

How Long Does a Treatment Session Take?

A treatment session can take anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes depending on the size of the area that you’re treating. If you’re only trying to restore volume to hollow temples, your treatment session will only take around a quarter of an hour. Contrastingly, if you’re going for a larger area, like your cheeks or chest, your treatment will take closer to 45 to 60 minutes.

What Happens During a Treatment Session?

Before your treatment session begins, Dr. Harbison will sanitize the targeted area. The needle used to inject the medication is sterile, but cleaning the treatment area is necessary to mitigate the risk that a harmful substance is on the surface of the skin and may cause an infection during the injection process. Once your skin is sanitized, you don’t have to worry about infection at the injection sites.

Will Treatment Hurt?

No. This treatment is not painful at all. The gauge of the needle we use is so fine that you would only feel a slight pressure if no anesthetic was used. However, this injectable is mixed with lidocaine to ensure your total comfort throughout your treatment session. The great thing about the use of lidocaine in the injectable is there is no risk of nasty side effects that often accompany stronger anesthetics.

Am I a Good Candidate for Treatment With This Injectable?

You may be a good candidate for treatment with this injectable if you have concerns about facial volume loss, have a healthy immune system, are 18 or older and are neither pregnant nor breastfeeding. Since this treatment features the active ingredient poly-L lactic acid, there is almost no risk that you will be allergic to the medication. However, you must let us know during your initial consultation if you are allergic to lidocaine.

During your initial consultation, we will discuss your goals and determine the cause of your cosmetic concerns. If your skin problems are caused by volume loss, Sculptra can enhance your appearance. The primary caveat to this is you should have a healthy immune system. Autoimmune conditions that can make you a poor candidate for this treatment include multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and Graves’ disease.

Is Lidocaine Safe for Me?

During your initial consultation, we will also review your medical history thoroughly. Furthermore, we will discuss your current health to determine if lidocaine injections will be safe for you. This local anesthetic is incredibly safe, but it works by blocking nerve signal communication. If you have certain organ conditions, including severe heart rhythm issues, a major heart block, heart disease, fatty liver disease or renal failure, it’s not right for you.

Learn More About Rejuvenating Your Skin With This Outstanding Collagen Builder Today

Sculptra has several applications, from smoothing facial wrinkles to augmenting the cheeks. The final results of the treatment will easily last two years, but some people enjoy the final results of the treatment for five years. To learn more about rejuvenating your skin with this outstanding collagen builder, please contact us now at North Dallas Dermatology Associates in Dallas, TX.