Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - August 29, 2004
Julie Deardorff, Tribune staff reporter
Sculptra, which treats a disfiguring condition known as lipoatrophy, or the loss of fat tissue under the skin, recently was rushed through the Food and Drug Administration's approval process specifically to treat the gaunt appearance of HIV patients. It's no surprise that healthy people hoping to plump up their sagging apple cheeks want it too.
Dr. Iliana Sweis of the North Shore Center for Plastic Surgery won't yet recommend Scupltura for off-label cosmetic usage until further studies are done.
"It's not an alternative to Botox," said Sweis, a plastic surgeon with offices in Chicago and Northbrook. "It works very differently. Botox and fillers really complement each other, but right now there isn't enough data to allow us to use it cosmetically."
Botox basically works by temporarily paralyzing muscles so there is minimal movement and less of a wrinkle. Fillers, meanwhile, are used to fill in wrinkles and folds. Sculptra is suspected to be a different kind of filler, though the exact way it works is still a matter of debate. In addition to increasing volume in a wrinkle or fold, it's thought to create another reaction that adds volume.
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