As with any injection, some pain at the treatment site is possible, but your healthcare practitioner may use a topical anesthetic to ease any discomfort. 

Sculptra is designed to give you noticeable results that emerge gradually with increased collagen production. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see immediate results. A few days after treatment, you may look as you did before treatment. This is normal and temporary. The Sculptra regimen delivers its full effects with an average of three treatment sessions over the course of a few months. Because results happen gradually, you will see subtle, yet noticeable, results in the reduction of facial wrinkles and folds by comparing images before treatment and a couple months following treatment.*

*Safety and effectiveness of Sculptra have not been evaluated in areas other than nasolabial wrinkles and folds.

In the days following your treatment, keep a few things in mind for swift healing and optimum results:

Cold pack: A cold pack or ice pack will help reduce any common swelling. Within the first 24 hours of treatment, apply a cloth-wrapped cold pack to the treated area for a few minutes at a time. Never apply ice directly to the skin.

Facial massage: Massage the treated area for five minutes five times a day for five days after treatment, as recommended by your healthcare practitioner.

Avoid sunlight: After treatment, excessive sunlight and UV lamp exposure should be avoided until any initial swelling and redness go away. Your healthcare practitioner will provide guidelines on sunscreen protection and how to avoid excessive sunlight.

If there are no complications, you may apply makeup several hours after treatment. Be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner after treatment.

Sculptra was CE approved for aesthetic use in the European market in 1999 and is FDA approved in the United States. Sculptra is made of a synthetic material called poly-L-lactic acid that is absorbed naturally by the body and has been used for years in dissolvable stitches. Since Sculptra does not contain any human or animal components, no allergy testing is needed prior to treatments.

Common side effects reported include pain at the treatment area, redness, bruising, tenderness, itching and lumps, bleeding or swelling. Small bumps under the skin can sometimes be noticeable when pressing on the treated area. Larger lumps, with or without inflammation, have also been reported. Common side effects usually resolve spontaneously within 2 to 7 days. If you are experiencing side effects, talk to your healthcare practitioner.

Sculptra is indicated for use in people with healthy immune systems as a single regimen for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial folds and other facial wrinkles by stimulating collagen production. You should not receive treatment if you have an active skin infection or skin inflammation near the planned injection site. 

Sculptra should not be used by people that are allergic to any ingredient of the product or have a history of keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring. Safety has not been established in patients who are pregnant, lactating, breastfeeding or under 18 years of age.