Rejuvenate Your Skin with Sculptra: Stimulate Collagen Beneath the Skin
If you want to show off plump, healthy skin but hesitate to inject synthetic substances into your body, you’re on the right track. Today, we invite everyone to get to know Sculptra, a helper that stimulates collagen beneath the skin by activating the immune system to naturally produce collagen. Let age be just a number because no matter your age, you can have plump skin with Sculptra.
What is Sculptra?
First, let’s get to know Sculptra. Sculptra is Poly-L-Lactic Acid or PLLA, the world’s first collagen biostimulator approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for over 20 years.
It is a substance that stimulates our body to produce collagen naturally without using other synthetic substances like fillers. Therefore, Sculptra helps with skin tightening and makes the skin look youthful.
Who is Sculptra suitable for?
Actually, it should be said that “it is suitable for everyone”, but mainly it is a choice for those who have the following skin problems:
- Sagging skin
- Lack of skin firmness
- Lack of skin elasticity
- Undefined facial contours
- Age-related wrinkles
- Including those who want to strengthen their skin before undergoing other technological procedures to enhance effectiveness and achieve clearer results
How does Sculptra stimulate collagen?
As mentioned earlier, Sculptra stimulates the body’s immune system by attracting macrophage cells and signaling fibroblast cells to gather more in the skin layer. Fibroblasts are the origin cells that produce collagen fibers beneath our skin. When more fibroblasts gather, collagen production in the injected area increases accordingly.
Why is collagen important for our skin?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, produced by cells called fibroblasts, making up about 75% of the skin. The most common types of collagen in our body are type 1 and type 3 collagen.
- Type 1 collagen is the collagen group produced from birth.
- Type 3 collagen is important for wound healing, making the skin strong and well-healed.
Therefore, the main benefits of collagen are to help with skin firmness, make the skin look youthful, and help wounds heal faster. Additionally, collagen is also a component of bones, hair, and nails, making it important not only for the skin but for the entire body.
How is Sculptra different from fillers?
To clarify, Sculptra helps with skin tightening, reducing sagging, and improving skin quality for a naturally plump look. In contrast, fillers are more focused on volumizing missing areas, especially in the mid-face such as under the eyes, nasolabial folds, nose, and chin.
What is the procedure for collagen stimulation with Sculptra?
The collagen stimulation procedure with Sculptra is simple by injecting Sculptra into the dermis layer in an amount suitable for each age group. It is recommended to consult a specialist before the procedure.
How often should Sculptra be injected to see results?
Results can be seen within 1-2 weeks after injection, with the skin looking plump and healthier due to the sterile water, which is the solvent of Sculptra. After that, within 1-3 months, Sculptra begins to stimulate natural collagen production beneath the skin. Studies have found that Sculptra can stimulate type 1 collagen production by up to 66.5% within the first 3 months after injection.
How long do Sculptra results last?
One vial of Sculptra (10 cc) can tighten the face for more than 2 years. However, it is recommended to increase the injection amount every 10 years of age. For example, at age 30, inject 1 vial, but at age 40, it is recommended to inject 2 vials spaced 1 month apart to maintain clear results. This is because the body’s natural collagen production decreases by an average of 1-2% per year after age 30. Therefore, different stimulation amounts are needed. For those over 30 years old, it is recommended to inject 2-3 vials spaced 1 month apart.
Can Sculptra be combined with other procedures?
Since Sculptra stimulates collagen production beneath the skin, it can be combined with any procedure. It can be injected before HIFU or Ulthera to enhance tightening effects or combined with acne scar treatments to provide precursors for the skin, resulting in clearer outcomes.
Is Sculptra suitable for everyone?
- Not recommended for those with autoimmune history
- Not recommended for those allergic to anesthetic drugs
- Not recommended for those with severe allergies or anaphylaxis
- Not recommended to inject during skin inflammation
How to prepare before Sculptra injection
- Avoid alcohol consumption 1-2 days before the procedure
- Avoid taking vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, cod liver oil, primrose oil 3-5 days before the procedure
- Avoid wearing makeup on the day of the procedure
How to care for yourself after Sculptra injection
- Keep the injection area clean to prevent infection
- You can wash your face and apply skincare as usual
- Avoid makeup, deep diving, sauna, steam, and swimming for 24 hours after injection
- Massage the face using the Triple technique for 5 minutes, 5 times a day for 5 days to stimulate better collagen production
Sculptra naturally rebuilds our skin, resulting in long-lasting effects. Importantly, it is painless and causes less swelling compared to other methods.
