Milford Med Spa

You are a perfect candidate for Sculptra to the temples and upper face, and while you're at it I'd recommend also treating your lower face to preserve the excellent condition of your skin. Around 30 years of age, we begin to lose collagen; Sculptra prevents and restores that loss by stimulating your body's own collagen production for 6 months after it's placed. Then at that point studies show you hold onto that newly produced collagen for TWO years!

Filler is amazing, but most likely you need more syringes to reach the correction that you desire. Then once you reach that aesthetic goal, unfortunately the filler dissolves usually by 12 months for the upper face. This is not the case with Sculptra. You can expect to maintain the correction from Sculptra for two years at least, possibly longer.

So, financially, I believe Sculptra to be the better choice as well. You'll need at minimum 4 vials of Sculptra, which can cost near $2400 and up, but remember will last 2 years. Whereas you likely need at least 4 syringes of filler yearly (so 8 syringes for 2 years of results) to reach similar revolumization goals, which can cost near $5600 (at $700 per syringe). So comparing $2400 to $5600 for two years of results, not to mention also gaining higher quality skin texture, the choice should be clear.

If you have a high metabolism or exercise a lot (hello marathon runners and body builders), then Sculptra is absolutely the best choice for you. Filler dissolves more quickly in this type of person, whereas the collagen you build from Sculptra won't melt away due to your level of activity.

A major contraindication for Sculptra is keloid or hypertrophic scarring, so if that's the case unfortunately it's not the product for you.

It's true that Sculptra and PDO threads are similar (being the materials of dissolvable stitches), however they have different chemical structures and behave differently in the skin. I think the difference between them is worth trying PDO threads despite lack of response to Sculptra.

I'm also wondering how long it has been since your 5 Sculptra treatments were placed? It typically takes at least 3 months to see any difference and at least 6 months to see the full effect. At that point, results last at least 2 years (according to clinical studies). Comparing high quality before and after photos is especially helpful to see the change in fine lines and hollows/folds being improved with Sculptra, since the changes take place so gradually as you look at yourself in the mirror daily.

It's also worth noting that Sculptra revolumizes and improves skin quality drastically, but may not provide the lift that is ultimately your goal. However, it can properaly prepare your skin for a more effective PDO thread lift. It's common for people to truly need both modalities to reach their aesthetic treatment goal of lifted cheeks and jowls. Without Sculptra, PDO lifted thinner skin isn't as youthful appearing as when the skin has been rejuvenated with Sculptra first. Sculptra treatment also provides more texture within the skin (increased collagen fibers) for it to grip the PDO thread when it's placed. When the skin is thinner, it's more likely that the PDO thread may not hold as well, and you may be disspointed with your PDO thread results at that point or require more threads placed to reach your goal.

As far as difference in chemical structure. PDO threads are made of polydioxanone, whereas Sculptra is made of PLLA. PLLA is Poly-L-lactic acid. They are similar with both being dissolvable stitches in the body. PDO typically dissolve faster than PLLA. PDO stimulates collagen growth for about 3 months while Sculptra does so for 6 months.

Bottom line, give it a try, combining these two treatment modalities may be the key to reaching your goals!

I recommend to my clients that they arrive for their EmSculpt Neo treatments with muscles that have not already been fatigued by a workout. This helps them get the most bang for their buck. Muscles need 2-3 days to recover from an intense workout, and this should happen before your treatment. Otherwise portions of the muscle group will not be capable of MAXIMAL contraction, which is what you are paying for with the EmSculpt Neo. MAXIMAL contraction is also what gives the amazing results. So, you can safely have a treatment after working out, but I think you'll see better results with recovered muscles. As far as working out after a treatment, you may not be capable of what you usually can do until after 2-3 days of rest. Working out after will not alter the effect of the treatment itself.

I would advise against this for your safety. Hernia of any kind in the treatment area is a reason to not treat with EmSculpt or EmSculpt Neo. I'd also be concerned about the effect on the fat within the hernia. The treatment results in burst fat cells, which in this case would be within the herniated area that may not be removed optimally by your body through lymphatics and circulation. I think the risk of injury would be too high unfortunately.

For the EmSculpt Neo, you will see the full result of muscle gains at 4-6 weeks and the full result of fat loss at 3 months after the last of 4 treatments. How long the results last then depends on what you are doing for maintenance of that muscular area combined with a healthy lifestyle. If you treated abs and want to maintain, I'd recommend having a consistent abdominal workout. Monitor your response and if you are not satisfied, add in EmSculpt maintenance treatments at least quarterly or as often as one per month.