What Is Sculptra?

Sculptra FAQ

How does Sculptra work?

Sculptra is a biostimulatory filler made of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) particles. When you receive a Sculptra treatment, your injector will deposit the filler into the deep layer of your skin, where collagen is naturally produced. These particles then act as a scaffold, prompting your skin’s fibroblasts to produce fresh collagen, helping improve elasticity, firmness, and overall texture.

Over time, as your collagen replenishes itself, you will notice a gradual reduction in visible signs of aging, such as wrinkles, volume loss, and texture. Why does FACE love this product so much? Sculptra results in a long-lasting and incredibly natural-looking facial skin rejuvenation—without the risk of looking over-treated, excessively filled, or puffy.

What are the benefits of Sculptra?

As a biostimulatory aesthetic injectable, Sculptra offers a range of benefits, including

• Long-lasting: Sculptra provides gradual and long-lasting improvement in skin texture and volume, with results lasting up to two years in clinical trials.

• Natural-looking rejuvenation: By stimulating your body's own collagen production, Sculptra can help achieve natural-looking enhancements that integrate beautifully with your already gorgeous facial features.

• Versatility: Sculptra addresses a range of treatment goals and can be used in a wide variety of locations, including the face and body.

• Gradual changes: Because Sculptra works gradually, it creates subtle yet significant improvements without drastic, all-at-once changes to your appearance.

• Minimal downtime: You can get back to your normal activities shortly after treatment. Please note that because of the injection technique used for Sculptra, you may experience additional bruising compared to HA fillers.

• Fully customizable: Sculptra injections can be customized to address your desired aesthetic goals for a personalized, expertly tailored look. They also work well with other cosmetic injectables, like neurotoxins and HA fillers.

• Stimulates collagen production: By kickstarting your body’s natural production of collagen, Sculptra continues to enhance the firmness and elasticity of your skin over time.

Is Sculptra a filler?

Yes, Sculptra is considered a biostimulatory filler—or a filler that works by triggering your skin’s natural production of collagen. Unlike traditional fillers, which use hyaluronic acid to add volume, Sculptra is made up of a sticky polymer called poly-L-lactic acid, or PLLA. 

For help visualizing the gel-like compound in Sculptra, think of the biodegradable and biocompatible material used for dissolvable stitches.

When placed in the deep layers of your skin, the PLLA particles in a Sculptra injection act like seeds, sprouting and growing fresh stores of collagen using your body’s own biological processes.

How much is Sculptra?

At FACE, a single vial of Sculptra costs $900, with discounts for multiple vials used in a single session or purchased as part of a package. For full pricing info, please see the Sculptra cost section of this page.

How long does Sculptra last?

Results can last up to 2 years. While the new collagen that grows will last approximately 7 years, you will continue to age following your Sculptra treatments, offsetting the well-aging effects. Maintenance treatments every 18 months to 2 years help maintain and maximize results.  

Is Sculptra safe?

While all injections carry the possibility of risk, Sculptra is generally considered safe when administered by a trained medical professional. Following a Sculptra treatment, you may experience temporary side effects like redness, bruising, tenderness, swelling, and lumps at the injection site, but these will often resolve within the first week or two following your treatment. 

What are the possible Sculptra side effects?

The most common side effects reported in Sculptra’s clinical trials were swelling, redness, pain or tenderness, and bruising. Trial participants reported that these side effects were mild to moderate and resolved within the two weeks following their treatment.

Other side effects reported include tingling, numbness, bleeding, inflammation, increased sensitivity, itching, skin hardening at the injection site, dry skin, lumps and bumps, headache, dizziness, and runny nose or congestion.

How much Sculptra do I need?

The ideal number of Sculptra vials for your needs depends on the treatment area, volume loss severity, and treatment goals. Multiple vials are typically necessary for optimal outcomes since Sculptra works gradually and is usually administered over several sessions.

Facial rejuvenation often starts with two vials per session, with multiple sessions spaced four or more weeks apart.

As a general rule, most people will need one vial per decade—so if you are in your 30s, you will need 3 vials, 40s, 4 vials, and so on. Because Sculptra is all about stimulating the regrowth of your body’s collagen over time, your provider will usually inject two vials at a time over the course of one to three sessions. 

What is the Sculptra massage technique you recommend? 

Following your Sculptra injections, I recommend the 5-5-5 method. It is pretty simple—using your fingers or a facial roller or gua sha tool massage the area five times a day for five minutes each time, for five days following your appointment. Using gentle but firm pressure, massage the skin in a circular motion, keeping the pressure consistent as you do. 

Why do you need to massage Sculptra? It is the most effective way to enhance its absorption into your skin, ensuring it works as expected to jumpstart collagen production while reducing the likelihood of experiencing lumps or bumps.

How far apart are Sculptra treatment sessions spaced out?

During a course of treatments, your Sculptra treatment sessions are usually spaced 4 - 6 weeks apart. Following the final treatment in a course, it is recommended that you wait even longer to give your body all the time it needs for the collagen regeneration process.

How often do I need to get Sculptra to maintain results? 

Once you and your provider have achieved the natural-looking results you desire with an initial series of treatments, follow-up sessions are recommended at intervals between 12 months and 2 years, depending on your individual needs and goals.

When will I start to see results?

Typically, you will start to see small differences 4-6 weeks following your initial treatment. But because the Sculptra journey unfolds gradually across 3 or more treatment sessions, the full effects will not be visible until 4-6 weeks following your final treatment session. One of the reasons we love the Sculptra look so much is its incredibly natural and gradual impact.

Directly following your treatment, your face may look fuller and more volumized. Because this effect is due to swelling and the water used to dilute the Sculptra, it will dissipate over the few days following your treatment.

Where is Sculptra injected?

Sculptra is placed along the outer corners of the face. By using the bony contours of the existing facial structure, your injector can place the product in the deep layers of the dermis at the temples, fronts of ears, cheekbones, chin, and jawline.