We use either Juvederm XC or rarely, Restylane as fillers and Sculptra to grow new and younger appearing skin. Fillers do just what the names states – they fill a layer of your skin with material that is similar to your own tissue BUT they do not stimulate your body to produce more tissue. Sculptra is similar to the absorbable suture material that has been used for many years in surgery and this has been shown to produce new skin tissue after several weeks. It is injected as a fine watery solution uniformly and serves to produce healthy appearing skin. It can be thought of as seeding a garden or lawn with the “seeds” in this case growing new tissue over the coming weeks and months. Usually we produce a higher cheekbone area and this tightens the rest of the face. While there is no true “facelift in a needle” Sculptra comes close!
Which one is best? It depends on your particular situation. We try to see everyone both from the “outside” – as the world sees us – and also from the “inside” view that we have of our own face. It is not unusual to use both separately or even at the same time! We use Juvederm XC for certain areas and needs and also use Sculptra – they really do behave differently and have different benefits. We should talk about your expectations and explain the choices in person. Both products are in-office and well tolerated.