Sculptra & Radiesse

The underlying cause of aging is addressed and not just the symptoms.
In comparison to these treatments:
Collagen creams: Collagen creams do not fully penetrate to the dermis, so most topical treatments are effective as moisturizers that briefly improve the skin’s appearance.
Collagen Supplements: When ingested, the digestive system breaks down collagen proteins and their effectiveness remains inconclusive.

As a poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) collagen stimulator, Sculptra helps restore the deep, underlying structure of the skin to diminish facial wrinkles.

Sculptra works with your body within the deep dermis to help revitalize collagen production and help restore your skin’s inner structure and volume.

As the Sculptra PLLA microparticles are absorbed, they help stimulate collagen production.

Rebuilt collagen strands begin gradually helping to restore facial volume and the look of fullness to wrinkles and folds.

Sculptra may stimulate collagen growth which helps to restore facial volume and the look of fullness to wrinkles and folds over time.

Radiesse is a dermal filler that is FDA-approved to smooth moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the creases that extend from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth). Radiesse is also used for correcting volume loss in the back of the hands. Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite or CaHA which stimulates production of collagen and elastin.

Immediately upon injection, Radiesse helps smooth out lines and wrinkles.
The natural-looking results last a year or more in many patients.

Common side effects of Radiesse include bruising, redness, swelling, pain, itching at the site of injection. Nodule formation can form so trust your face and body with an experienced injector. Reverza is one of two authorized providers in Lane County.

Sculptra is made with biocompatible, biodegradable, synthetic material called poly-L-lactic acid, which is gradually and naturally absorbed by the body and helps to rebuild lost collagen through a series of treatments administered by a trained specialist.

Many patients reported the following side effects at the site where they received the injection in their diary:
• Swelling
• Redness
• Pain/Tenderness
• Bruising
Most patients said these temporary side effects to the injection procedure were mild to moderate and disappeared within 1-2 weeks.

Other side-effects reported in the studies included bleeding, numbness, tingling sensation, injection site hardening, pain and itching at the injection site as well as dry skin, lumps/bumps formation, herpes, headache and runny or congested nose.

Other side effects reported in the study were formation of lumps and bumps (nodules), pain, redness (erythema), discoloration, swelling, itching, bleeding, inflammation, increased sensitivity to touch (hyperesthesia).

A reported side effect following treatment with Sculptra are nodules that appear in the treated area. These could be visible or are not visible, but can be felt under the skin. The risk of these nodules occurring could possibly be increased if a large volume of the product is injected at the same place, and in particular if the deep wrinkles in the corners of your mouth (smile lines) are treated. These nodules usually go away on their own or after treatment with drugs, but surgery could in some cases be required.

No. Unlike other wrinkle fillers, SCULPTRA provides a gradual improvement of the depressed area over several weeks as the treatment effects occur. During the initial treatment session with SCULPTRA, the contour deficiency, line or wrinkle should be under-corrected, not fully- corrected or over-corrected. It may seem that your treatment worked immediately because of swelling caused by injection and the water used to dilute SCULPTRA. This usually resolves in several hours to a few days and may cause the original defect to reappear: you may look as you did before your treatment. Visible contour, line or wrinkle correction results appear slowly. Your healthcare professional should see you again in three or more weeks to decide if you need additional injections.

Your healthcare professional should see you at approximately three-four weeks after each treatment session to assess whether you need additional treatment. You may need one to four treatment sessions (typically three) to achieve the optimal correction possible. The safety and effectiveness of SCULPTRA has only been studied in a single treatment regimen of up to four sessions at three four-week intervals.

In a U.S. clinical study, treatment results for some subjects lasted for up to 25 months after the last treatment session. However, the improvement depended on the severity of the contour deficiency that a subject had before treatment. Discuss with your health care provider the optimal cosmetic correction you may expect.

As with any injection, to decrease pain during injection, a topical or a local anesthetic may be used when injecting SCULPTRA. In a U.S. clinical study, subjects recorded pain in diaries: 71% of all treated patients reported some pain after first injection, 14% of subjects had moderate pain. Most pain resolved in less than 24 hours.

Some specific instructions you should follow after treatment are:
• Massage the treated area for 5 minutes 5 times per day for 5 days after your treatment.
• Within the first 24 hours after your treatment, apply ice or an ice pack wrapped in cloth (avoid putting ice directly on your skin) to the treatment area to help reduce swelling
• Avoid or minimize hard (strenuous) exercise and exposure to extensive sun, UV lamps, indoor tanning beds/booths, or extreme temperatures within the first 24 hours after treatment with SCULPTRA.
• Report any worsening or longer-lasting signs of symptoms to your healthcare professional.
Seek immediate medical attention if you develop symptoms such as unusual pain, vision changes, a white appearance of skin near the injection site, or any signs of a stroke (including sudden difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in your face, arms, or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headache, dizziness, or confusion) during or shortly after the procedure.