If you’re concerned about age-related volume loss affecting the appearance of your face and jawline, you may be a good candidate for Sculptra, offered at Still Waters Day & Medical Spa in Pensacola, FL. This phenomenal injectable is an excellent alternative to invasive procedures because surgery isn’t right for everyone. Today, we discuss how many treatments you may need to help you determine if this one is right for you.
To achieve your desired aesthetic, you will probably need between one and three treatment sessions spaced about a month apart. In cases of severe volume loss, up to six treatment sessions may be necessary.
Most clients with concerns about multiple areas receive treatment for each area during the same session. After we have reviewed your aesthetic goals and assessed the current health of your skin, we can give you a better idea of how many treatment sessions you may need.
Poly-L -lactic acid can be used to fill in just about every region of the face that is experiencing volume loss. It can be used to treat marionette lines, nasolabial folds, sunken, hollow cheeks, and much more.
However, it is most effective when used to treat wrinkles, folds, and other signs of volume loss caused by severe illness-related weight loss and collagen loss caused by age. We’ll diagnose the cause of your cosmetic concerns before we recommend a treatment plan.
This medication is not FDA-approved for injection into the lips or eyelids. If you are concerned about thin lips, we offer Juvederm Ultra XC which adds dramatic volume to your pout. If you are concerned about asymmetrical lips, we offer Juvederm Volbella XC which adds subtle volume to your nearly perfect lips.
If you need help to augment your lips, it is crucial that you let us know of any allergies during your initial consultation. All Juvederm products denoted by “XC” indicate the presence of lidocaine, an injectable local anesthetic. This powerful numbing agent causes an allergic response in a small segment of the population. If you are allergic to lidocaine, Restylane may be a better non-invasive lip augmentation solution for you.
The typical Sculptra session takes a mere 15 to 60 minutes. Exactly how long the session lasts depends on the size of the areas you’re treating, the number of areas you’re treating, and how many injections you need. If you require just 2.5 or three doses to treat the lines between your nose and your mouth, your session will only take around 15 minutes.
Contrastingly, if you require six doses of the injectable to add volume to extremely gaunt cheeks, your treatment session may take 40 minutes. If you are targeting several areas, such as your forehead, cheeks, and jawline, your session can take up to an hour.
However, we firmly believe that the improved self-confidence you will get from improving the texture and contours of your face for several years is well worth the initial investment of an hour.
The dose you will need will depend on several factors, including your age and how severe your case is. Typically, people require a vial of Sculptra per decade of their age.
For example, a 60-year-old would need six vials of the injectable to augment sunken, hollow cheeks or correct severe volume loss in the chin region. A 45-year-old would only need 4.5 vials of poly-L -lactic acid to smooth deep age-related wrinkles.
You can expect to see the initial results of your treatment session immediately after your appointment. You should not expect any bruising or swelling that will result in waiting to see the initial results of treatment.
These rapid results occur because the poly-L -lactic acid (PLLA) settles quickly into the spaces that exist within your skin’s supporting structures due to significant collagen loss. However, your body will fairly quickly break down the natural ingredients in the medication.
Luckily, while your body is breaking down the medication, it is stimulating your skin’s collagen production system. As your skin produces more strong, healthy collagen, it smooths and becomes augmented.
The most important thing you can do to prepare for this treatment is to avoid taking any medications that can cause contraindications with the injected PLLA. The most common class of medications that can thin the blood and cause bruising is NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Besides using these drugs to relieve inflammation, people often take them to prevent or treat heart problems or temporarily relieve fever. If you are taking an NSAID, such as low-dose aspirin, on the recommendation of your doctor, ask if it is safe for you to stop taking your medication for a few days before and after your treatment session.
If you are taking an MAOI for MDD, panic disorder, or social phobia, ask your psychiatrist if it is safe for you to stop temporarily. Other things you should do to prepare for your treatment session include:
If you feel pain or discomfort in the three days leading up to or following your treatment, you can take acetaminophen. Like NSAIDs, acetaminophen can safely and effectively reduce a fever if you have a viral or bacterial infection. It also effectively relieves mild-to-moderate aches and pains. However, it is not an NSAID, so it does not have the potential to thin your blood and cause bruising at your injection sites.
However, it is absolutely crucial that you read the label of any acetaminophen you buy. Shortly before and after your treatment, it is very important that you minimize your consumption of caffeine. TYLENOL Ultra Relief contains both acetaminophen and 65 mg of caffeine, and caffeine can elevate your blood pressure and dehydrate you.
You can expect to see the final results of your treatment no more than three weeks after your final treatment session. Remember, some people only need one session to combat the deep wrinkles and folds across their faces. If that applies to you, you will see the final results of your injections two to three weeks after your session.
If, however, you require six treatment sessions, it can take up to 27 weeks to see your desired results. As stated previously, treatment sessions are typically scheduled a month apart. Therefore, it will be six months from your first session when you have your final session, or roughly 24 weeks.
Most healthy individuals find that the results of their treatment last five years. However, lifestyle choices and genetics affect the durability of treatment results. If you started seeing pretty significant wrinkles at the age of 25, you probably have genes that result in premature visible skin aging.
It’s rare for lifestyle choices to make such an impact on your skin health that you start to have visible wrinkles before the age of 30 or 35. If your genes cause premature aging, the results of your treatment may last only three years or so. If you make lifestyle choices that lead to poor skin health, the final results of your treatment may only last two years or so.
Lifestyle choices that affect skin health include eating processed foods loaded with unhealthy fats and added sugar, drinking alcohol in excess, consuming tobacco products or smoking cessation tools, being dehydrated, and not getting enough nutrients.
Unlike invasive cosmetic procedures, there is no downtime associated with this treatment. You are free to resume your usual daily routine with just a few exceptions. You cannot apply any cosmetics to your face, including makeup and moisturizer, for three hours after your injections.
Aftercare after these injections is easy. Depending on how sensitive you are to injections, you may want to apply an ice pack, pack of frozen peas, or cold compress to the skin near your injection sites for a few minutes at a time during the first 24 hours following your treatment.
Do not apply an excessive amount of pressure to the treated areas directly. To ensure the medication settles into your skin correctly and hasten the final results of your treatment, we strongly recommend that you massage the treated areas gently for five minutes at a time, five times daily for the first 120 hours following your treatment.
Finally, you should avoid unnecessary UV exposure, such as sunlight without sunscreen or tanning beds, for the first few days after your session.
You may be a good candidate for this poly-L -lactic acid injection if you are concerned about lines, wrinkles, or folds on your face that are not caused by muscle hyperactivity. You may also be a good candidate for this treatment if you are concerned about loose, sagging skin around the chin.
Since this injectable is hypoallergenic, the FDA approved it in 2009 for people with severe facial folds and healthy immune systems. However, as with any other cosmetic treatment, this injectable is not right for everyone.
Let us know during your initial consultation if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or may be pregnant. This injectable is not FDA-approved for women who are pregnant or nursing. It is also not recommended for anyone with certain heart conditions or a medical history including regular cold sores.
You don’t need to be concerned about volume loss. Your only concern should be how to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment you have the opportunity to experience. Sculptra pensacola won’t take away all your problems, but after no more than six sessions, you won’t have to worry about the contours or texture of your face and facial skin for the next two to five years.
To determine if this injectable is right for you, contact our aesthetic experts at Still Waters Day & Medical Spa in Pensacola, FL now to set up an appointment. We offer several injectables designed for different cosmetic concerns of varying severities for different parts of the face. We are more than happy to tailor a treatment plan just for you that addresses each of your cosmetic concerns. See you soon!
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