Why is my face so swollen from sculptra?

Bellafill and sculptra take time to build I would have waited before putting sculptra in if you just had 5 syringes of bellafill.  Regardless the swelling is likely from injections and will take 1-2 weeks to resolve.  You can get RF treatments like venus legacy or thermi 250 to help.  Best, Dr. Emer.

It is not uncommon to develop some swelling after a Sculptra treatment and it is also not uncommon for the amount of swelling to be different between sides.  The swelling will go down, but the amount of time for this to occur can vary.  The amount of Sculptra used for a treatment depends on the appearance of the patient, so I cannot comment if 2 vials for your treatment was too much or not without seeing you or photographs of you.  Using 2 vials in one treatment session would not be uncommon though.   It will take 1-2 months to see the true effect from your Sculptra treatment.  I would say that the timing between your Bellafill and Sculptra treatments is not what I would have recommended.  Bellafill results can take 6 weeks or longer to occur, so I would have waited at least 6 weeks or even longer before treating you with Sculptra and not the 2 weeks that your treatments were spaced.  

Thank you for your question. It would not be unusual to have significant swelling 2 days after injections of Sculptra and this may even be assymetric. Plus the fact that this was done within 2 weeks of having the Bellafill injected. The Bellafill should be reaching its nadir soon as the collagen component is fully absorbed and you begin to fill in with new collagen production from the PMMA. I would have waited at least 6-8 weeks after the injection of the Bellafill before proceeding with the Sculptra. Moving forward, I would be careful as the additive effect of the Bellafill and Sculptra will begin to appear over the next several months and you could end up with more volume replacement than you anticipated. Also, it is going to be difficult to discern your individual response to either Bellafill or Sculptra. I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore

Thank you for your question.  It's not uncommon to experience swelling after Sculptra injections.  To put it in perspective, 5 syringes of Bellafill contain a total of 4.0cc of product (0.8cc per syringe).  On the other hand, each vial of Sculptra is usually reconstituted to a volume of 8-10cc, meaning that a 2 vial treatment would involve injecting 16-20cc of product into your face.  Most of the swelling typically resolves within a few days, but some swelling can persist for up to 2 weeks after treatment.It's difficult to make exact recommendations without assessing you in-person or reviewing your photos.  That said, both Bellafill and Sculptra are collagen stimulating fillers, that work with your body to promote collagen production.  As a result, it can take 6-8 weeks to see the results of a Bellafill or Sculptra treatment, and I would not have recommended any additional filler just 2 weeks after Bellafill.  Please follow-up with your injector to discuss your concerns if your swelling persists.  Best of luck!

It is usual to have swelling after Sculptra injections as it is mixed with sterile water as a diluent.  Depending on the doctor's dilution, it would not be unusual to have received about 8cc of liquid per vial, or in your case 16 cc.  Swelling typically resolved in less than a week as the water is reabsorbed and any tissue swelling from the injection itself subsides.  Generally if a patient looks over corrected immediately after a Sculptra injection, then they should wait 3-6 months or even longer to see what the end result  of the biostimulatory is.  I wonder if you received so much Bellafil with meager results that you are either very volume deficient and perhaps a better candidate for a facelift or fat transfer.  Why was Scuptra used so quickly after Bellfil, are you expecting immediate results?  Your physician should talk to you are your expectations to make sure you are a candidate for filler and/or Sculptra.