My Dr. has been diluting & injecting Sculptra within minutes?

Sculptra injectable comes to the physician in a powder- wafer form and does need to be hydrated/reconstituted prior to use. We do this several days prior and have found this reduces the clogging issues compared to hydrating this within a few hours. Different injector providers may have slightly different timetable experiences. Sculptra of course works to stimulate one’s own collagen over time, so an understanding of realistic response timetables is also important. 

Sculptra should be reconstituted a minimum of two hours but up to several days prior to treatment. Some injectors may not want to do this too early if they are afraid they will not have the volume of business that may leave the Sculptra going unused and wasted. Sculptra requires an experienced injector for best results - a board certified derm or plastic surgeon is your best bet for this treatment. Good luck. 

One of the main reasons for hydrating Sculptra is the difficulty it is associated with injection.  The powder that is not dissolved by hydration is difficult if not impossible to inject.  There are reasons for pre-mixing at certain times.  Despite the manufacturers recommendations it can be mixed at variable times prior to injection; depending on the physician's preference and technique. There is no evidence that results are related to time of hydration.If there are no adverse effects, referring to your injector as "this guy" shows disrespect. If not adverse effects are temporary and treatable.Please consult in person with an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon prior to making treatment decisions.

Thank you for your question. Sculptra should be diluted at least 24 hours before injection. Theproblem with diluting it minutes before injection is that it can lead to lumps and nodules. Sculptra is a great product to correct shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds. It also helps to replace lost collagen.

We always have pre-mixed Sculptra vials ready for treatment that have been reconstituted days earlier, as we inject Sculptra daily so it is important to have some available at all times. The teaching has always been to mix it at least a day or two in advance of treatment. However, I'm not sure of any studies or data to indicate that this is truly necessary and prevents nodules or bumps. That said, since the company does recommend this, I feel that it makes sense to follow their guidelines.  

I always reconstitute Sculptra five days prior to visit as it is very viscous and needs time to settle naturally so as to avoid potential clogging which makes it difficult to properly inject and could lead to potential lumps or nodules. Scluptra is a brilliant product for the right candidate, however it is not an easy one to use which is why it is so important to seek out a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon with extensive experience injecting Sculptra. 

The downside to this is that there is potential for clumping of the product which can lead to nodules. It is still as effective as it would be if mixed days before. The FDA approval is actually mixing it the day of the procedure.

Most experienced injectors reconstitute Sculptra a few days in advance. Maybe your doctor already reconstituted it and just dilutes it more just before injection.

Thank you for your question.  Sculptra should be diluted at least 24 hours ahead of injection to minimize lumps and bumps.  If you have not had any issues or side effects with his technique, then there has been no downside.  Most active Sculptra practices have 1 bottle always mixed, they don't mix specifically for a patient.  Additionally, dilution techniques vary and can range anywhere from around 7ml to upwards of 15ml per vial depending on practitioner and area being injected.  Regards, Dr. Matt Elias

Typically, the Sculptra needs to be reconstituted/diluted with bacteriostatic water and lidocaine. In our clinic, I reconstitute the Sculptra myself using 9 cc of bacteriostatic water. I then let the Sculptra sit in the fridge for at least 7 days making sure all of the PLLA particles are adequately hydrated. Before injection, I mix in an additional 1 cc of 2% lidocaine without epinephrine. The total dilution is 10 cc of diluent per vial of Sculptra. Adequate hydration of the PLLA particles in Sculptra is important to minimize the risk of lumps, bumps, and granulomas.