Sculptra: Stories

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Sculptra in Cheeks and Around Mouth - Concerns and Questions

  • User removed by request
  • posted 3 years ago
  • Not Worth It
  • Cost: $700
  • USA

Excellent product so far.  Looks beautiful,...

Excellent product so far.  Looks beautiful, natural and sublte change of youthful fullness - which is what I wanted.  I had an allergic reaction to topical numbing solution and recommend using ice instead when receiving the injections.

Updated on Nov 25, 2009
Two months ago I had my first sculptra treatment around my mouth for lines, sides of face where my vertical smile lines are, cheeks and cheek bones. My doctor said she used very little (less than a full vile or 3-4 ounces). I had a bad skin reaction that went away with antibiotics, steroid cream and time. I have been unfortunate in that there no lumps or bumps so far.

I did not like the heaviness in my lower face and around my mouth from the beginning. About one month later, my doctor added (she said just one ounce total half in each cheek) to my upper cheek and cheek bones. I needed it and liked that the balance of my original face shape returned and it looked good the first two weeks. Very little swelling and redness. Nothing like the first time. And the second treatment did not hurt at all. In fact she did not use any topical numbing - pain free the second treatment!

However, two weeks after my second treatment the heaviness and fat round face seems to be worse. Chipmunk look. No lines but no contours. In this second treatment, the doctor did not add any to my bottom face nor around the mouth, just the upper cheek and cheek bones but it looks very heavy, worse. I like the cheek bones but do not like the mouth and lower face fullness.

Is there a way to reduce the heaviness in my lower face? I am exercising more trying to burn body fat and eating less. But I don't want to become an anorexic over this. And does lots of fat burning exercise help to offset the heaviness from the Sculptra? Or am I fighting a useless battle? Are there any other ways to reduce the heaviness from the Sculptra?

No pros so far. I did not expect Sculptra to blow...

No pros so far. I did not expect Sculptra to blow up my face and change my smile so much. It's only been a week but I am upset that I may be stuck with this for a few years.

I went to my dermatologist for botox which I received and had good experience with for several years. At that time, I asked my doctor about lines around my mouth particularly from corners down to chin. Not huge by any means but beginning to be more noticeable as I approach 50. She recommended Sculptra and said it would created collegan in my skin to plump it up. She then suggested I do my cheeks and I trusted and said ok.

I thought it would be absorbed after first treatment and make collegan plumping a few months later. It's been very full since day one after treatment and fullness in face and around mouth as not gone down. I am upset that my face which was very pretty is not the same anymore.

Great review?

My Doctor: name not provided

I recommend my doctor highly who I have been using for years with excellent results always with various facial cosmetic treatments and now Sculptra. But I had an alarming experience the first 10 days after sculptra due allergic reaction to the numbing solution - not the sculptra. A big part of the alarm was the unknown and unexpected with this newly approved cosmetic wonder injection. My doctor treated my skin and the condition turned around in 48 hours. And the sculptra results look beautiful in my face so far. Subtle but naturally a bit fuller so far. I look forward to the next few months to see the overall results.

Comments (27)

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I had sculptra 6 months ago. Total of 3 vials. My spdoctor also bamboozled me. She said she had it done. There is no way. I have chipmunk cheeks, not even and I also think it affects my immune system. I can tell when it is growing or something. I actually went in for dermabrasion for acne scarring in my cheek area, mostly on one cheek. I do not even look like me at all. In fact I aged dramatically because of this. All lies no matter who you talk yo. We are guinea pigs and they know it. My question is when does it stop growing? Also, do your cheeks ever go back to normal.
Thanks. Any in is appreciated.
How many vials did they inject?

Sculptra is very unpredictable. The first round went fine, but when I went back for a touch up, my face continued to grow in places where the sculptra had not even been injected. I now have no definition in my face, and look like a chipmunk when I smile. It's 2 years later with NO improvement.DON'T USE IT

Can anyone tell me if I stop eating will this halt the collagen production
Just another thought, I think a face that shows age is better than a face that is weird stuffed with fillers !!!
Sculptra has ruined my life, I hacve had a nervous breakdown, my face before was pretty now I am ugly.

Why do we mess with our faces and body's, it is not right.

Mai
YAY YAY YAY! Hurrah for improvement. I have my fingers crossed for you. I have to say that when I saw your before photo I wondered why you had chosen to have Sculptra. I am sure I don't need to tell you that you didn't need anything done at all. Face disasters are very stressful and I am hating being so conscious of my face all the time. And I too am looking forward to the return of my long lost smile. Best of luck. K
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
I never sought out or chose sculptra or heard of it before. I had gone to my dermatologist for Botox and asked for suggestion on a minor smile line from my mouth down to chin on right side. Next thing you know,I'm talked into sculptra all over my face. I felt booby trapped. I have fine expressive smile lines not deep grooves and I had just had fraxel resurfacing with great results. Did not expect scultra and it's side effects to mess over my face. Wrong product on the wrong patient. I still hate it but it is getting slowly better with time. Fingers crossed this junk goes away soon and does not leave bumps
Funny you should say that, I never asked for the botox that caused my face disaster. All I wanted was a bit of dermal filler to camouflage the dark circles under my eyes and that is all I asked for. I was upsold on botox to make the filler last longer (the dermatologist's equivalent of "Do you want fries with your burger?"). It was the biggest mistake I ever made. I had no idea it would cause me this much grief. It has been the longest wait hoping to get my face back to normal and I totally relate to your sentiment of never knowing what you are going to look like from one day to the next. These products and procedures are all marketed to us as safe, effective and temporary. I have found the first two claims to be utterly untrue. All I can do is hope for one out of three! Almost 33 weeks later I have to confess that my hopes are dwindling...
How are you doing Sally? Any improvement?
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
Actually yes. Gets better every day as it absorbs. But I still hate my fat face chipmunk smile. I had fine laugh lines - not deep grooves in my face. Totally wrong candidate for this product. I hope it will be all gone by the end of this year as promised. I don't understand how some of the professionals on this site say sculptra is not a filler. Something in the injection made my cheeks and around my mouth fuller and look different well before natural collagen came in.
No you are not. This product is a collagen stimulator not a filler! So as many as 50% of the patients get no response. Sorry for your time and dissatisfaction. from MIAMI
I've had 3 injections of Sculptra and I don't see one bit of change. My first injection was November, second December, last one was 2 weeks ago~Jan 2010. Am I expecting too much too soon? (neither family nor friends have noticed any changes either) thanks for answering
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
Wow. I don't know what to say but I am sure after 3 injections you will notice a difference soon. Maybe your doctor is being super conservative which is a GOOD thing. I will say this, now that I am into month 5 since my first injection October 2009, that the quality of my skin has improved and fresh collagen has emerged. But I have a fatter face - especially around the mouth which I don't like. And I had a hyper sensitive reaction to the injections which was a nightmare I hope to never experience again. Consider yourself lucky and give it some time.
I totally get what you are saying but your photos have been cut off (only the left side of the story board shows). I agree that you did not need sculptra at all. Good luck with everything.
I wonder how many Dr. Injectors have injected Sculptra under their skin?
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
Actually my doctor who did my injections said that they have had sculptra injected into their skin. And they look great now - like a movie star. But in my opinion my doctor looked fabulous already before the sculptra. And As I do recall in hindsight noticing their face looking different - that scultra full face look while the product was absorbing and thinking to myself that they looked a bit "odd" at the time. Now that the product is absorbed and they have their own collegan, they look good. So I had a many reasons to trust my doctor. I think the manufacturer of the Sculptra needs to give doctors and patients more caution about the possible allergic reaction and the 3-6 month "morphing" period of the skin and face shape while the product is absorbing. These unknowns were quite shocking and upsetting.
Easy answer TIME. Give it 3 to 6 months to reabsorb.
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
Thanks Doc! Since month two passed, it has gotten better, reabsorbing and beginning to look more natural; the original contours and dimensions of my face are returning and fresh collagen emerging. But the journey to get to this point has been horrendous and shocking. I originally wanted to address a fine smile line from my mouth to my chin on one side! I feel fortunate thus far in that I had a good, properly trained doctor who administered the injection in the correct places (not under my eyes thank goodness) and I do not at this time have evidence of granulomas. But this in this time I have been waiting, my face morphed and looked hideous, I had a terrible skin reaction, extreme pain, lost sleep and weight from the stress. BTW, step aside Jenny Craig, Nutrasystem, Weight Watchers and the rest of the diet products out there - you want to loose 10 pounds quick? Have Sculptra injected into your face to bring on the stress and induce sudden weight loss - this is my experience!
Does the puffiness really start to go down in 3 - 6 months? That would be wonderful news!!
Hi Sally
Same happened to me hate sculptra, lost loads of weight throug stress and had a nervihad a nervous breakdown with it. i hate my unbalanced face one side is different from the other
Could it be that your mid and lower face looks 'larger' because your temples and sides of your forehead are narrow and sunken? If you have a narrow/sunken first upper third of the face (forehead + temples) then adding more and more volume to the midface without adding volume to forehead sides and temples, this will only make your face look larger. I don't know how you look like though, but in most cases faces still look 'unbalanced' even after filling upper cheeks, because the temples are sunken and also need to be filled.
  • sally49 (unregistered guest)
  • 3 years ago
Possibly you are right. I did not have my temples or forehead done and quite frankly will not do any Sculptra again. Waiting it out at this point. It looks just strange and for the first two months my face changed and morphed daily. Never knew what to expect. I am counting the days of this year to end hoping that it will be reduce by the end of year one which October 2010. Maybe it's a preference but many of the before and after photos of those with a favorable experience just look plain blown up and bloated in their faces. I am not into a fat, over blown face. For those who want chubby cheeks and a fat face, they may like Sculptra. It's not my gig. And the pain and horror I went through in the first two months shook me up. Noooooo more plastic anything for this girl!!!
how are you now? I did the treatment 3 weeks ago and I hate how it looks like...fat, no face features, contours or definition just a huge bloated face with a big square jaw and chin ( i have a small defined jawline naturally)...we call it pillow face..by when did your face got normal again??
has anyone heard of beautical. I am wondering which is best sculptra or beautical

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