“"Dr. Injector" Nickname Should Have Been a Warning...”

Ok now I see why there are negative comments on this board about Sculptra. It sounds like who ever you used to inject this used it as a filler like Restylane or something like that. That is NOT what Sculptra is!!!! It is approved only as a filler in the cheek area to create fullness in people who are gaunt. It was medically approved for HIV patients who became gaunt. It is not to be used in the forehead area nor is it supposed to be used in smile lines. Not only that, you are supposed to follow a strict regimine of massage treatments in the area following the proceedure. You picked a horrible doctor but it has nothing to do with the product itself.

Sorry JenKK, but you are incorrect. I had a "trainer" as my injector and he messed up my face. I since have been told by many responsible doctors who tried to help me that Sculptra was approved ONLY for people experiencing large amounts of fat loss due to HIV - for good reason. This product should not be used as a wrinkle filler, or for any minor fat loss from aging. Sculptra is not approved by the FDA for cosmetic reasons.

"You picked a horrible doctor but it has nothing to do with the product itself." Yeah you got that right..... the doctor is horrible because he/she implanted PLA for cosmetic purposes. This doctor didn't research the product and used the poor patient as a guinea pig and got paid for it. The product is half of the equation so don't write that off so quickly - It might be helpful for you to research exactly what PLA is and what it does.. If doctors and Dermik weren't so darn negligent we wouldn't be sitting here with big granulomas and broke to-boot.

I don't think all docs know about the necessity of frequent massage. Even though myy doctor didn't emphasize it too much, I have been doing it all the time to avoid problems. I think that people raise an excellent point about Sculptra being approved only for HIV patients. If you are not immunologically compromised, your body is going to be a lot more efficient at all of it's processes, including collagen production. I'm not an expert, but perhaps the development of lumps and granulomas has to do with a healthy immune system forming the collagen *too* rapidly? I am glad my doctor refuses to use it under the eyes. He has told me that there are other filler options, but that my best bet is to get more sleep and wait until I am older. By then, maybe better under-eye options will be available. If it goes from the market I will be kind of disappointed, but new alternatives are appearing constantly. For those of you with negative experiences, I'm sorry... but I will not keep my voice down about my own positive experience, either. There are many procedures doctors don't "do". Some won't use a certain type of breast implant, some won't prescribe certain oral therapies. The reasons vary, but it comes down to the fact that those who refuse to use a particular treatment don't think that they can achieve a successful result. Bad results = less business. I have been lucky in that the person treating me has achieved successful results in the past. Wish I knew his technique, maybe he should be a trainer!

palaminoangel, You've almost got it! But... It might be helpful for you to understand the nature of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) - AKA sculptra. The immune system has an integral role in fibroblast behavior, (that'd be the lumps/granulomas) in other words its how the the host immune system responds to it. Poly-L-lactic acid differs from the other fillers in that it is dependent on the host immune/reparative response to accomplish filling. Other similar products include silicone and polymethyl-metracrylate (neither is currently FDA approved for soft tissue augmentation). Here is the risk factor: and there is no way even the best injector in the world can control this.... Unfortunately this mechanism of action for augmentation has two potentially negative effects INHERENT TO THE NATURE OF THE RESPONSE : (1) the host immune system can respond less than optimally causing less augmentation then desired; or (2) the host immune system can respond over exuberantly creating granulomas or lumps. I repeat.... INHERENT TO THE NATURE OF THE RESPONSE In the medical literature, there are many reports of delayed foreign body granulomas; in one report with PMMA (Artefill/Artecoll, which is Plexiglas!), up to 12 or 13 years following the injections! The reasons this can occur is that you are injecting something foreign into your body and the human body has a very sophisticated immune response. When it sees something as a foreign invader, it creates a complex reaction to try to get rid of it, and the result is the granuloma which you describe. Your best injectors have no control over this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So if your injector is injecting this stuff for cosmetic purposes- he/she is not the best! Its just criminal to take money and cause this kinda of harm. and this is the point the injector will blame you for the problem - Pretty good racket they have going! kooie