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Sculptra Ruined My Face Too

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Sculptra Ruined My Face Too

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JeanCatrine
$2,000

Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it.

I told my provider I needed someone to help guide me through the world of disaster stories and enhancing cosmetics. That there was too much of it online for me to handle. My goals were to keep my beautiful face as long as possible. I loved my look. I had confidence. A boyfriend who called me beautiful.



Immediately after the treatment (2 vials, even though I requested 1) I was puffy. They said it was swelling. It didn't go down. I developed a nodule in my left cheek after the first week. It's still there.



Yes, the changes are "gradual" etc etc. But they are awful. As with many women on this platform I look fat. Inflammed. I've lost all the beautiful contour in my face. I've been told from friends and family "you're not ugly, you've just used to be stunning."



Heaviness in the lower cheeks. Loss of contour in the face. Loss of defined cheek bones. Loss of smile. Too much fullness that presses out in my face, making me look "mad." I don't turn heads anymore.



I went to a dermatologist. She gave me 3 months of docycycline to help with the inflammation. It did help, but after I went off the antibiotics the inflammation and fat face returned.



The irony is, now, instead of being able to avoid all the drama online of cosmetic enhancements, I'm a slave to it. I've probably taken 10,000 selfies in different light. I constantly compare old photos to new ones. I have tried makeup, different ways to smile, different sleep postures, more water, less water, more exercise to make my face slim out.



I'm tired. I'm giving up. I've lost my face and self. It's beyond depressing. I hope hope hope this sh*t goes away. But...reading all the comments and understanding how my body reacted to it...I don't think it's going to happen. The lesson is: love the body you were given. It's amazing. Aging is beautiful. Don't f*ck it up.



Please, go home. Do some face yoga and drink water if you need to. Stay AWAY from Sculptra, and never trust a nurse with a syringe with life choices.

JeanCatrine's provider

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JeanCatrine

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Replies (22)

April 8, 2025
It’s ruined my pretty petite face as well and I’m early days yet 3 months and been given too much. Every day I wake up and my face is fuller and I want this nightmare to end. I believed my injector as well. It’s just a glow up she says it won’t create too much volume - BS! Im so upset but can do nothing but wait it out and hope it settles and goes away fast. I loved my face I thought I was getting just a refresh not completely change my contours and features of my face my skin is also a different tone. I’ve had inflammation. Burning and broken out skin since my second session I didn’t want it but was told to do it for best results. My face has never been this big in my life. It’s aged me 10 years not taken a few years off. Im 50 but looked 40 before it. I’ve lost my confidence now as well.
Warning to everyone do not touch this garbage! Anything you can’t dissolve stay away from it you don’t know how your body will react. Natural is best. It’s too late for me but Never again
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April 9, 2025
I’m so sorry.
There’s pretty much nothing we can do.

Try to find your smile.
Try to find confidence.

Recognize the beauty we had from birth was worth something.

Don’t trust your providers.
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May 31, 2025
@elena exactly the same for me. :(

So sorry.
June 1, 2025
I'm so sorry to hear that and wish so much yours was better after a little more time :( Mine has actually gotten a lot better over the last month. The swelling went down and my heaviness in the bottom of my face and jaw where the sculptra wasn't even placed has gone, my cheeks have lifted and I don't look so full faced anymore and my sensitive skin full of hormonal acne is looking better. I'm not sure what my outcome will be yet but it's more positive now. I' did some infra red saunas, and got given an Omnilux red light face mask and I use that 3 times a week. I also take collagen and green juices daily. Some well placed anti wrinkle injections has also helped lift my face as well. I do look different but over time we forget how we used to look but Im also 50 ageing and going through peri menopause. I just let it all go and trusted the universe it would be okay :)
June 9, 2025

Exactly

My face immediately after sculptra was destroyed and so was My health to a point ive known such illness I am now 2.5 months later starting to recover physically but my face is still ruined Every single tiny little scratch flaw was exaggerated by 10 million % and a heavy drop to my lower face All was so inflammatory i was put on steriods then antibiotics then another round of doxycycline Stoke like symptoms started a couple days after injection and then I struggling to keep upright stay awake then I got NUEROLOGICAL issues my hands shook on there own Then I turned white blue no oxygen i was hospitalized 4 times Fought so hard for survival all the while looking absolutely disgustingly gross with inflammatory swelling and gross exaggeration of scars from 1979 I turned 60 alone because I wouldn't let anyone see me or could I leave my home I didn't know if id survive

WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL MY BREAST CANCER (RS Bleep) AND THURPID PATIENT SELF THAT SCULTRA IS INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE DELIBERATELY ON MY IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT WOULD RELY ON STIMULATING IT AND VAUSING FINROSIS LIKE SYMPTOMS ON MY ENTIRE BODY

April 9, 2025
Love this thank you - I have hope that all will be ok and it’s just caused these issues for me but will pass. I say daily I love and accept myself exactly how I am
April 13, 2025
Thanks for sharing sister, but I just wanted to tell you.... don't let anybody including yourself tell you that you USED TO be a stunner. You still are silly and most likely the change in your behavior and self-confidence is probably majorly influencing this stunner factor. I don't know if you notice but people always tend to agree with our beliefs, so whatever we tell ourselves will be reflected by others!! I am hyper-critical of myself as well so I do understand your devastation. Here is maybe something that could help, FYI the Dr's name is at the end, he is well known in the country or maybe you can look into similar procedures done by providers in your area. Big Hug :)
"External skin tightening therapies such as Ulthera or Exilis can have some facial slimming effects because of the radiofrequency heat they produce which could cause the reactive subcutaneous scar tissue to dissipate. They are well known to cause fat absorption at high energies or repeated treatments.

The safest options in my opinion would be 5FU injections combined with Exilis. It may require more than one treatment but conservative improvement with no downsides would be a prudent approach.

Dr. Barry Eppley
April 22, 2025
I'm also having issues, I do not know why they have this on the market. I have a visible scar now. Random bumps keep coming up. This stuff should be banned. I also had two vials only wanted one. Stupid me, pre paid this shit!. I hate what I have done and I dispise the lady who I trusted with my Face. She told me complete lies.
May 11, 2025
there is hardly any difference in your before and after pics. don't be so hard on yourself
August 20, 2025
100%
UPDATED FROM JeanCatrine
11 months post

11 months in. Worse than ever.

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JeanCatrine
11 months in and it’s worse than ever. Extreme cheeks is the best way to describe it. When I smile it’s unnatural. Puffy. Circular. Nothing you want. Definitely not snatched. My mother looks younger than me.

All I can be grateful for is that life throws us lessons and this is one.

My nodule still hasn’t gone away. I’m seeking steroids and other options to get this to pass quicker.

I am so anxious. No confidence.

Replies (8)

July 14, 2025
How are you? I finally got my smile back after 4 years. I just waited in horror, basically. It gets better after it gets worse. Hang in there.
October 12, 2025
Glad to hear. So there is hope after all
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October 14, 2025
Thanks for saying that. I hold on to hope. I'm 15 months in. Still don't recognize my face in a mirror. Sure, maybe to others it's subtle, but to me it's soooo weird.
October 11, 2025
First, I want to tell you I´m very sorry you have to go through this nightmare as well and that you are still a beautiful woman. I know exactly how it feels. My face was altered by two vials
of sculptra a year and 4 months ago. The good news is it will dissipate eventually, however, it is unclear how long that is. A surgeon I saw after the fact told me his clients usually come back for touch ups every 12 to 18 months. It has been 16 months for me and my face doesn´t look as wild as it did even a few months ago, but I still don´t look like my old self. Nevertheless, I have regained hope as things are starting to change – very slowly. You have to keep the faith that eventually it will all be fine. It sucks, but we will come out of this stronger and better. Love and hugs from Germany.
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October 14, 2025
I'll add more pics at 18 months if I can remember :)
October 21, 2025

I'm 2.5 years or so in and hate it as well.. face is puffy and lost my natural cheek bone look. I also have photos like yours. The smile is the worst as most fat expression. Wanted 1 vial but it was placed in lower jaw and cheek and I looked really disproportionate and hates it so she said do 2 but thay was placed in apple of cheek. Made me have jowls and increased naso fold lines which were mild and I was trying to resolve. I also have a spot on the right side in that apple cheek which still feels more tender especially when I'm sick, never had sinus issues before but it's like mayne it effected my lymph but she said it's just the cannula fs (RSbleep) up in there. Always said its not volumising even when I kept saying my face is huge etc .. such BS. I feel its slowly improving but I still hate it . I'm seeing a derm in Feb..want to try some diluted steroids maybe kenalog 10 or 5fu .. has anyone had help with these without it being for nodules ?? I'm also nervous to then stuff face anymore. It made me look older for sure I lost that feminine face shape and gained unwanted jowling.. I feel it when I moisturise these like puffy areas and hate it

October 21, 2025
Also to those that said they waited in horror .. did you stop everything beauty related? I still do skin needling but I'm wondering if I should stop that also incase it's re stimulating the collagen that I'm trying to get rid of or is thus swelling the fluid stuff in it that stays and isn't collagen I just dunno. Can't wait to show derm in Feb. I feel like 1 side is slowly getting back that line but very minimally
October 21, 2025
I mean getting back that cheek line