Sculptra or Fat Transfer for Deep Lines on Face?

If your face looks like a corduroy fabric there is no filler that will really do an adequate job by itself. You will need to have the areas of fatty loss filled (we prefer Sculptra or Radiesse) to volumize the area. BUT, that will only lift the wrinkles like lifting a wrinkled fabric. You additionally will need a "dewrinkling" technique such as CO2 laser (We now prefer the Mixto) and it can be safely all be done at one time by an experienced surgeon. You did not give your age and... more

Sculptra is an excellent volumizer and has the advantage over hyaluronic acids (Restylane, Juvederm) in that you can inject higher volumes at a more reasonable cost, also lasts considerably longer. Sculptra can last about 12 to 18 months and can be injected to deep lines and hollows with good results. Fat transfers are also a good option for patients who require large volumes but can be a little less predictable in terms of longevity and how many sessions required. Fat can... more

Without seeing your lines it is not appropriate to tell you what would be better. For fine lines, neither is a good choice. If they are deep and individual, the lines might be better filled with an immediate filler that is less thick than fat. Sculptra and fat injections are good volume replacements which can help the envelope of the skin look better without filling individual lines in some cases.

Sculptra requires many sessions, it may last 2-5 years and you are charged per vial. The advantage is no surgery. Fat grafts are essentially limitless and may provide a long term solution. The disadvantage is the surgery and the difficult aspects of predicting fat survival and possible need for more than one session.

Today we have many choices for facial fillers. Sculptura was developed as a filler to treat overall facial wasting that occurs with age due to loss of fat and other supporting tissue and has just been approved by the FDA for cosmetic usage. It works well to improve contours of the cheeks and improve hollowing around the eyes. Unlike other fillers such as Juvederm made from hyaluronic acid which immediately plumps and fills, Sculptura, stimulates your own tissues to produce collagen so the... more

 You will need a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss these options with you and other possible options. Not all deep lines need filler  and may need lifting of the tissue  as well . If you have very deep lines, the result from the fillers will be limited. 

Sculptra is a volumizing filler but it also stimulates collagen which can thicken the skin and lessen the appearance of wrinkles.  Fat does not have any stimulatory effects but it can fill deep wrinkles.  So the answer to question lies in which wrinkles you want to fill and where. 

Generally speaking, sculptra and fat augmentation are used to replace lost volume throughout the face. They correct areas of volume depletion and hollows. Deep lines or wrinkles are generally the target of skin resurfacing and not the reliably treated by deep volume augmentation. However, by expanding the skin, some of the deep folds and lines do improve. So, consider a two stage approach- volumization first followed by skin resurfacing. I hope this helps.