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Complaints: I’m small and have sharp features...
Considerations: It’s a small investment (for me, anyway). It involves multiple deeper injections, and while I’d experienced mild, temporary discomfort with fillers, I thought Sculptra might hurt much more. I also knew it might involve multiple visits at regular intervals to get desired results, which would add up to multiple small investments. I liked that it was bio-compatible and subtle, and that it had a good track record. In the long run, it works out to about the same as a filler which lasts six months. Knowing that I’d need something other than fillers if I wanted to change what I disliked, I decided to go for it.
Procedure: I wanted to be as numb as possible, particularly since I didn’t know what to expect, so I hung out with numbing cream on my face for 45 minutes. Once the doctor was ready, the numbing cream came off and she began to work. My doctor is very gentle, and after the first couple of injections the lidocaine she’d added to the Sculptra kicked in. There were multiple injections in the temple, cheek and jaw areas, and my doctor would massage each area as she worked. It wasn’t any more painful than a filler. Sometimes I heard a crackling sound and/or felt a little pressure as the Sculptra was injected. Once my doctor was finished, I was massaged for five minutes and instructed to do the same five times a day for five days. My face seemed fuller in the areas she’d worked on, and there were a couple of tiny bruise marks. I massaged a couple more times and went to bed.
Days after: The fullness and the bruise marks went away. Sometimes it hurt to massage the treated areas, but it’s really key to the treatment’s success. The soreness went away too, and after about a week it didn’t look like I’d had anything done.
Follow-up: I thought I’d noticed a slight difference in fullness in the six weeks between the first visit and the follow-up. My baseline and follow-up pictures showed that there was more than just a slight difference; the Sculptra had started to encourage collagen production. I’ve had one more treatment since, and that’s when I started to notice an improvement in fullness.
Verdict: I’d do it again, as long as my doctor did it (more on that below). My face is pleasantly fuller, which is what I was after. I don’t look overstuffed, unnatural or “done.” My husband has complimented me a number of times, but he has no idea that I’ve had anything done. I look like a healthier version of myself, and my face doesn’t reflect the stresses of my life as before. Sculptra doesn’t provide instant gratification, but it’s great for subtle, natural-looking facial enhancement.
Provider Review
Dr. Dosal is wonderful. She’s never in a hurry during my appointments, she listens to me, and she fully addresses my concerns. Her recommendations are always carefully considered and reasonable. She knows exactly what to do to make me look better without making me look unnatural, and she’s incredibly precise. I was worried about Sculptra being painful, but I shouldn’t have; Dr. Dosal is also very gentle. I was about to describe her general approach as “conservative,” but it’s more than that; it’s like she can envision what a face would look like at its natural best, and she knows exactly what to do to make it a reality. Maybe that is being conservative; whatever it is, she’s brilliant at it. Even though I’ve had numerous cosmetic procedures done over the years, I still look in the mirror the morning after I’ve done something new (or worse, immediately after I’ve done something new), and think to myself, “What have I done?!”. Dr. Dosal just used Radiesse on me for the first time, and because she treated just the deeper of my nasolabial folds, my face was temporarily uneven. (More on my Radiesse experience when I can post again.) I know I’m going to look swollen and generally odd while a treatment settles, but my lizard brain takes over. All logic flies out the window and every worst-case scenario takes its place, and I know better but just can’t remember that I do. It’s three days post-Radiesse and the treated areas look great. Seriously great. Prior to this, I wasn’t hot to try Radiesse. Now I’d do it again in a heartbeat, as long as Dr. Dosal was the one doing it. Had I not been able to keep my fears in check, I could have contacted her; she always makes sure I have her number in case I need her. I think she’s particularly sensitive to people’s fears about cosmetic procedures, and does everything she can to offset them. She’s just a generally lovely person. I know I’ve been blessed with a good doctor when my own husband can’t tell that I’ve had things done. He has no idea that I paralyze and fill my wrinkles into submission, and that’s a credit to Dr. Dosal’s skill. My naturally beautiful mother (grrr…) isn’t a cosmetic procedure junkie like I am, but she’s been thinking about doing a few things. If and when she decides to do anything, I wouldn’t take her to anyone but Dr. Dosal. She’s a skilled professional who cares as much about my appearance as I do.