Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Miami Herald - May 31, 2005
Dr. Carlos Wolf, carloswolfmd@aol.com
A: Sculptra is a relatively new facial filler. It is made up of a material called poly-L lactic acid, which is one of the chemicals that makes up suture material that is used in surgery. The material differs from some of the other facial fillers such as Restylane and Captique in that Sculptra stimulates your own body to increase collagen and cellular growth in the injected area.
The material comes in a small bottle that has to be mixed with sterile saline. It is then injected into the areas that have deep wrinkles and or fat loss. Within a week the saline is absorbed and the body starts to produce collagen. The patient is then reevaluated after a month to see how much of a "fill" he or she has. Patients may need more than one treatment. Results are estimated to last from one to two years, but the patient may need touch-ups in that time.
Sculptra is only FDA approved for fat loss secondary to HIV illness. That does not mean you will get HIV if you use it! It means that if you are going to have Sculptra used on you, your physician is using it "off label," which is legal. Botox was and is still used "off label" as it is only FDA approved for the furrows between your eyes.
While Sculptra is relatively new, it has great promise as a cosmetic filler because the studies show good, reliable results. Clinical trials are now in progress.
Readers, I enjoy your letters. Keep 'em coming!
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Dr. Carlos Wolf is a board certified facial plastic surgeon practicing in Miami. Write to him at carloswolfmd@aol.com or c/o Desonta Holder, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami FL 33132.
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