Third Time Having It Done & Will Try the Silicone the Next Time - Saint Louis, MO

I have wasting in my face from being Pozitive. I am a gay male who was infected in high school, and am very concerned about my appearance. I work out at least 3 times a week, and eat healthy. However, the meds cause other problems, like heart disease, and lipodystrophy, and lidodystrophy. I work in the accounting field, and want to look good. I have seen a lot of other gay positive males with wasting in their faces, and you can tell that they are positive without even asking. It is the one thing about the illness, that nobody realizes is happening to them, it just happens. So I had my first injections in 2005, when it first came on the market. It was expensive, but I don't drink or smoke, so I figured it is my one treat that I needed to do for my own self esteem. The first time I got Sculptra was from a PS who was just starting her business, and she actually gave me my last treatment, ( the first time) for free in 2005, but I had spent $3,000. I was so happy with the results, and with her generosity that I was in tears after I left her office. Nobody had ever given me a gift like this before. So I have been to her 3 times in the last 8 years. My last treatment I also got Botox injected into my forehead and I also loved the results from that too. Only Botox is really temporary, lasting only 3 months. During my last treatment in January, she told me about injecting silicone for a permanent solution. She said that it is more costly, but it will last forever. I really think that in 2 years when my face needs the lift, I will go ahead with it, by then the cost should be down. As for the pain and discomfort, it is worth it. You really have to use the 5,5,5 rule, ice every 5 hours, for 5 minutes, for 5 days. As for the pain, it is best if you have a prescription for Vicoden, to help you sleep. That was the most uncomfortable part for me. But like I said I will gladly have the silicone when I go back in a couple of years.