Sagging nasolabial folds - Would Sculptra work for me? (photo)

Sculptra will definitely help. The other option would be Voluma. It would give much faster results and it has comparable longevity. It addresses the temples area especially well and the results are always impressive.

Hello! My name is Jessica, I am a physician assistant, and one of the providers at Aesthetic Skin in Winnetka and Chicago. This is a great question. Sculptra could indeed be a very suitable treatment for the concerns you've described. As your dermatologist suggested, the sagging nasolabial folds are likely a result of volume loss in your cheeks. When you lose a significant amount of weight, you can lose facial fat, which provides support for the skin. This loss of volume in the midface can cause the skin above the nasolabial folds to droop and become more prominent. Sculptra is a unique injectable treatment because it works as a biostimulatory filler. Instead of directly filling the lines, it contains poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) microparticles that stimulate your body's own collagen production over time. When injected strategically into the cheeks, Sculptra can gradually help to restore lost volume in this area. As the collagen levels increase, it can provide better support to the overlying skin, which in turn can lead to a visible reduction in the appearance of the nasolabial folds. The results with Sculptra are not immediate; they develop gradually over several weeks to months as your body produces new collagen. Typically, a series of treatment sessions spaced a few weeks apart is recommended to achieve the desired outcome. The effects of Sculptra can be long-lasting, often up to two years. Given your age and the likely cause of your nasolabial folds, Sculptra's ability to address the underlying volume loss in your cheeks makes it a promising option for achieving a more natural and youthful appearance in the lower face. I hope this helps and best of luck!

Volume in the cheeks, whether from aging or in this case significant weight loss, typically accounts for the loss of the ideal, feminine Ogee Curve, the flattening and sagging of the cheeks, and the accentuaiton of of the smile folds--all of which can be seen in the photos provided. Since volume loss is responsible for these issues, volume replacement is the appropriate solution. I prefer the use of a robust HA volumizing filler, which, in the hands of an experienced, board certified cosmetic dermatologist filler expert, can improve all of the aforementioned problems, typically in one treatment sessions of about fifteen minutes and with immediate, on-the-spot results, and little to no downtime. Results typically can last up to eighteen months. What's more, should there be any need, HA fillers can be dissolved with the use of hyaluronidase.
Sculptra, on the other hand, is expensive, typically requires three treatment sessions to achieve the desired results, and has no specific enzyme to dissolve it should the need arise. For these reasons I stopped injection Sculptra many years ago, once the more robust and longer-lasting HA fillers were approved for use. Hope this helps and best of luck.