What Happens/Risks Are There if Sculptra is Reconstituted 2 Weeks Prior to Injection

Sculptra comes as a powder which needs to be reconstituted with sterile water.  Most injectors will mix it at least 24 hours prior to injection to allow it to hydrate adequately, which helps to prevent needle clogging and helps reduce the risk of lumpiness or bumps in the skin.   Some injectors prefer to let Sculptra hydrate for longer than 24 hours.  The dilution should be done in sterile manner to prevent contamination of the product.  The worry with 2 week old product is the risk for bacterial contamination since most people use sterile water without preservative to dilute it.  Some people use sterile water with preservative which would lower the risk of contamination.  I prefer to use it within a day or two of reconstitution. 

I agree with the other doctors that the main concern is sterility.  There is no loss of efficacy with a delay between reconstitution and injection.  This is an issue for neuromodulators like Botox or Dysport.  Using water with a preservative and of course maintaining sterile protocol will help prevent infection, but there have been no studies about the safety profile with delay between reconstitution and injection.  Most injectors wait at least a day, and obviously the longer the gap, the higher the risk of contamination and possible infection.

Yoash R. Enzer, MD