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Sculptra Caused a Lump Under my Eye

My cosmetic dermatologist is a superb injector....

  • 10 Jul 2010

My cosmetic dermatologist is a superb injector. She is the best of the best. I have no choice but to blame the product itself, Sculptra, for the lump that formed under my left eye. According to the PI sheet, about 1 in 5 patients develop lumps. I thought I could beat those odds by having a good doctor. I even read these reviews thinking, "Oh, if they had good doctors, they would not have had these problems." I was naive. Sculptra is advertised as a miracle product. I believed it. I thought my tear troughs and eye hollows would achieve a nice fullness without problems.

The injections themselves were not painful. The areas were numbed with lidocaine. I was to have 3 treatments, $400 each. After the first treatment, I did not notice a difference.

About 2 weeks after the second treatment, a lump formed below my left eye hollow. In addition to this, it seems as if the product migrated away from where it was supposed to be! I was confused. I massaged the areas for 5 minutes, 5 times a day, for 5 days after each treatment. I was not supposed to get a lump! My doctor recommended against a steroid injection because she believed that it will go away on its own. It has been 2 1/2 months since the lump formed. It is about 80% gone.

Overall, Sculptra was not a good choice for me. I do not notice a difference in the fullness under my eyes. I had the distress of getting a lump. I wasted $800. I do not recommend Sculptra for the under eye area. I wish I had chosen Juvederm or Restylane instead.

Name not provided

She is highly experienced. She is a very skilled injector. She is a good listener.

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Comments (4)

Your dematologist may be a good injector but sculptra should never be used under the eye and will always cause nodules. I am an esthetician and this is common knowledge. So sorry you had this happen.

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First of all Sculptra is not the best treatment for under the eyes, especially up around the orbital bone, as this area is extremely prone to the type of problem you have noted. Sculptra is best for areas such as the temples, cheeks below the cheekbone, jawline, nasolabial folds. If injected too close to the orbital bone or direcly into the lips is can often cause lumps or bumps because the collagen production it causes will be too great for an area with so little tissue. Your doctor should have explained this to you.
Secondly, you stated you saw no results from your first treatment, this is to be expected. It typically takes 6-8 weeks for any results to be noticable, which would be about a week or 2 after your 2nd treatment.
I work for a plastic surgeon who uses Sculptra and it has been a dream come true for many of our patients. The injection technique for Sculptra is very different than with other cosmetic injectables. Just because your dermatologist was great with the others does not mean they will be a natural with Sculptra as it is injected to a different level altogether.
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Anon, can you comment more on the use of Sculptra to improve the jawline? Where are the injection sites, please?
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Given that Sculptra was primarily used to treat facial swallowing in HIV/AIDS patients prior to its cosmetic release it is most effective when treating those areas that correlate to its original design - through the temples and cheek areas. These areas lose volume and collagen as we age and the Scultra treatments stimulate new collagen production there. It can be used through the nasolabial folds and marionette lines like the HA fillers, but it's slow acting style leads to dissatisfaction in those areas in our increasingly impatient world. On the jawline, it can be used and effective but better, more visible, results for giving more definition to the jawline would be treating through the cheeks. As volume increases there it will naturally provide some lift and definition to the jawline. Sculptra is a wonderful product when used right. Only treat advised areas. Complete the series of treatments - this will be 3-4 sessions, without completion you will not get the necessary collagen stimulation for optimal results.
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