Collagen is an important structural protein found in connective tissue. Its function is to keep the skin firm, youthful and smooth. As we age we lose collagen, which acts as the skin's support structure and helps maintain its shape. In fact, 70% of the skin is composed as collagen, and collagen loss causes the skin to lose its elasticity, structure and moisture. We naturally lose about one percent of collagen per year after the age of 18. And by age 50, we can lose up to 30 percent of our collagen. Over time, our face loses collagen, fat, muscle and bone. This leads to a flatter face, hollowing under the cheek bones, sunken temples, jowls and a sinking jaw line.
The good news is that it’s possible to help boost the skin’s own natural collagen production. Sculptra® Aesthetic is an FDA-approved facial injectable treatment that helps boost the skin’s own natural collagen production to help treat the underlying cause of aging – the loss of collagen. In doing so, it subtly and gradually adds volume that lifts the soft tissues and plumps the skin from within.
Sculptra Aesthetic addresses the underlying causes of facial aging, not just the symptoms. Once injected Sculptra Aesthetic works deep within the skin’s surface, and is gradually and naturally absorbed by the body to help stimulate collagen production to reinforce skin’s inner structure and increase facial volume.
Unlike traditional hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, which work immediately upon injection to fill in lines, wrinkles and folds, Sculptra Aesthetic is made from Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), which helps stimulate your skin’s own natural collagen production over time, helping to reinforce skin’s inner structure and increase facial volume that has been lost to aging. PLLA is a biodegradable substance that has been proven safe and has been used in medical products, including dissolvable sutures, for more than 30 years. It contains no animal by-products or human DNA.
The typical treatment regimen for Sculptra Aesthetic consists of three injections over three to four months. Results appear gradually over a period of a few months, and are long-lasting, more than two years. In contrast, HA fillers last until the HA is absorbed by the body and excreted (typically 6 to 12 months after injection).
