Sculptra is a bio-stimulator or tissue remodelling injectable treatment, not a dermal filler, that stimulates new collagen production for tissue restoration and rejuvenation. It has a long history of use in facial aesthetic treatments to naturally increase skin thickness and elasticity and restore volume.
Approximately 45 - 60 minutes.
When Sculptra is reconstituted ready for injection, we add the local anaesthetic lidocaine to numb the area as the product is injected to avoid discomfort.
Pregnant or breastfeeding. Under 18 years old. Known allergy to polylactic acid, other product ingredients or lidocaine, a history of anaphylaxis, keloid, or hypertrophic scarring.
Minimal, transient tenderness, redness and swelling at the injection site for 24-72 hours depending on the area treated; may cause mild bruising.
Suitable for all age groups for anti-ageing skin rejuvenation and facial correction. Beneficial for improving skin elasticity, thickness and volume for temple and cheek hollowing, moderate to deep wrinkles or folds (nasolabial folds and marionette lines), chin and jawline definition, hand rejuvenation, and reducing lines and wrinkles on the neck and décolletage
Starting from £450
Gradual and incremental improvements due to collagen stimulation. It has been clinically proven to last up to 25 months, but this will vary by individual, and area treated; to maintain results, top-up treatments are recommended every 12 months.
If you’re unsure where to start, don’t worry — simply get in touch with BU Aesthetics™ or book a consultation with Caroline. She’ll assess your medical history, discuss your aesthetic goals, and develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs.
As we age, collagen production in the skin decreases; alongside exposure to the sun, this all adds to the visible signs of ageing like wrinkles, folds, skin laxity, loss of definition, and volume loss. By injecting the areas of concern with Sculptra, the Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) gets into the deep layers of the skin, where collagen resides and is made by the body, and will encourage collagen production to renew the soft tissue by natural mechanisms.
The benefit of Sculptra is that it causes a longer-lasting, natural tissue repair, compared to dermal filler gels, by getting your body to do the work and make new cells.
Sculptra contains Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) microparticles that when placed deep in the dermis have a stimulatory effect on cells, kickstarting the production of new collagen and new connective tissue to strengthen the skin.
PLLA has a long history of use in medicine and medical aesthetics, originally used for dermatological indications where correction of facial hollowing was required following illness or trauma, going on to be used for cosmetic and volumetric concerns in anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation of the face, neck, and hands.
Our Independent Nurse Prescriber Caroline is fully trained & certified in Sculptra treatment.
Sculptra is not a dermal filler and does not immediately add volume like hyaluronic acid; it is better described as a bio-remodelling or bio-stimulatory injectable product.
It contains microparticles of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA), a crystalline form of polylactic acid which stimulates the body to produce new collagen to restore and rejuvenate common skin defects associated with ageing. PLLA is from the Alpha Hydroxy Acid or AHA family and is a synthetic polymer of lactic acid (polylactic acid) that is commonly used in medical applications including sutures (stitches); it is biodegradable and biocompatible, meaning that it is accepted by the body and eventually metabolised.
Sculptra is mixed into a solution with sterile water to allow the PLLA to diffuse easily into the soft tissue upon injection, which is usually performed in a grid pattern to create a matrix or scaffolding to support the framework of new collagen. After placement, it begins to induce a controlled inflammatory or wound-healing response that activates collagen production as a repair mechanism to regenerate the skin. The microparticles of PLLA are gradually surrounded by connective tissue (collagen and elastin) which forms plumper, renewed skin tissue over a few weeks. The PLLA is broken down gradually into lactic acid (once it has done its job) and metabolised naturally by the body.
Repeat or additional treatments will maintain and optimise the results and increase the natural restoration of your face, hands, or area treated. Alongside other cosmetic injectable treatments, Sculptra is available at BU Aesthetics™ in Merseyside with our Independent Nurse Prescriber, Caroline.
Sculptra is ideal for many facial rejuvenation and anti-ageing concerns, particularly where poor skin elasticity, thickness and volume loss is a problem including hollowing of the temples and cheeks, moderate to deep wrinkles or folds like nasolabial folds and marionette lines, and definition along the chin and jawline. Sculptra can also be used for hand rejuvenation to restore lost volume and reduce the appearance of tendons and veins by thickening the skin, and for reducing lines and wrinkles on the neck and décolletage, where skin can become crepey due to sun exposure.
Although we mostly use it for anti-ageing indications, it can be used in any adult age group and may be beneficial for facial correction, to rebalance and harmonise facial structures in younger patients.
Sculptra cannot be used in the lips, near the eyes, or in the forehead. We offer a range of alternative cosmetic injectables including dermal filler and lip filler products, anti-wrinkle injections, hybrid injectable products like HArmonyCa, polynucleotides, and the bio-stimulating Radiesse treatment at BU Aesthetics™. A combined treatment approach may be recommended by our Independent Nurse Prescriber, Caroline.
A programme of Sculptra treatments at BU Aesthetics™ in West Kirby usually comprises 2-3 treatment sessions with 6 weeks between appointments to allow time for collagen formation and review before repeat treatment is delivered.
The number of individual Sculptra treatment sessions required will vary by the area being treated, the aim of treatment, your age and skin quality; this will be explained by our Independent Nurse Prescriber, Caroline.
Following a thorough 30-minute consultation with Independent Nurse Prescriber Caroline, we can determine if you are a suitable candidate for treatment using Sculptra. Caroline will take a full medical history to determine if you have any underlying medical conditions, or known allergies, or are taking any medication that could make you unsuitable or contraindicated for treatment. A known allergy to polylactic acid or any of the other ingredients within Sculptrat (sodium carboxymethylcellulose and mannitol), a history of anaphylaxis or being prone to hypertrophic or keloid scarring is likely to be contraindicated. Lidocaine is added to Sculptra during treatment preparation, if you have a known allergy to lidocaine, we can discuss seeking alternative options for a comfortable treatment.
Sculptra is suitable for men and women of all skin types (colours) and age groups, so if you are generally in good health, you should be able to have treatment.
If you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding or are under 18 years old, you cannot have treatment. Similarly, if you have damaged or broken skin in the area to be treated, or an active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection, this will need to be resolved before treatment.
It is important that you discuss what you hope to achieve from Sculptra treatment so we can evaluate if it is the right treatment for your concerns. All aspects of treatment, including any risks, will be fully explained during your consultation, allowing you to book your treatment appointment or have some time to go away and think about it. Few treatments are performed on the same day as your consultation appointment.
Sculptra comes as a dry powder that is reconstituted, ready for use, with sterile water and a local anaesthetic (lidocaine) to avoid discomfort during injection.
Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) is a form of polylactic acid that is commonly used in medical applications; it is biodegradable and biocompatible, meaning that it is accepted and metabolised by the body, and has a good safety history.
Common side effects after treatment include redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, or itching at the injection sites, with the potential for mild bruising. These are usually temporary and resolved within a few days to a week. You may use ice packs or cold compresses to help reduce any discomfort from swelling in the first 24 hours.
The formation of lumps or nodules, a very rare but known side effect, has been reported by the manufacturers. Correction product use, including appropriate dilution/reconstitution, injection techniques that are deep and not superficial, avoiding overcorrection or overfilling with dosing, and following the advised massage will all mitigate the likelihood of nodule occurrence.
As an Independent Nurse Prescriber, Caroline has significant experience in complications management and can diagnose and prescribe medications if an adverse side effect occurs. It is vital that you only seek Sculptra treatment from an aesthetic clinician like Caroline who has undergone authorised training in its use. Full aftercare advice will be given.
Improvement from treatment with Sculptra is not immediate, making it different to hyaluronic acid gel dermal fillers which immediately and visibly plump the soft tissue under the skin. However, you need to be aware that initial swelling caused by the treatment (and due to the sterile water added to Sculptra during reconstitution) will give you an immediate augmented appearance in the area treated; you should expect this to fade over 24 hours as the swelling recedes, returning the area to its original appearance and deficiency until improvements start over the coming weeks to rebuild and renew natural tissue. Do not be alarmed or fear that the treatment has failed when the swelling subsides.
For the best results from the Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) contained in Sculptra, you will be given aftercare instructions, including how to massage your face post-treatment (for 5 minutes, 5 times per day, for 5 days) to help with product diffusion and integration into the soft tissue for optimal cell activity.
The presence of the PLLA stimulates new collagen production to improve skin quality and density. The result will improve incrementally over several weeks and months and as you have additional treatment sessions, with noticeable improvements to skin laxity and quality, restoring structure and elevating features, reducing sagginess, improving volume, and rejuvenating your appearance. A full result from Sculptra can be expected after 3-6 months of embarking on the treatment programme.
Results are long-lasting due to natural collagen stimulation that improves soft tissue volume and skin quality. Review appointments will be scheduled to assess your incremental results so we can continue to correct and further optimise the results within the additional treatment sessions.
Results vary by patient, with treatment of the nasolabial area proven by the makers of Sculptra to last up to 25 months in some people; on average, results last 18-24 months. To maintain results and optimise the treatment, we recommend a repeat treatment with Sculptra every 12 months.
If you’re unsure where to start, don’t worry, simply get in touch with BU Aesthetics™ or book a consultation with Caroline. She’ll assess your medical history, discuss your aesthetic goals, and develop a personalised treatment plan tailored to your needs.
