At The Cosmetic Doctors Company in Esher, Surrey, Sculptra offers a different approach to facial rejuvenation.

Rather than adding volume directly, Sculptra stimulates your body's own collagen production. This improvement develops gradually, with the aim of restoring structural support, improving tissue quality and producing a refreshed appearance without an obvious or sudden change.

For patients who prefer subtle improvement over time rather than instant transformation, this can make Sculptra particularly appealing.

Sculptra is almost certainly the best, collagen stimulation injectable treatment currently available.

Read why after more than 25 years, Sculptra is finally having its moment.

How Does Sculptra Work?

Collagen provides important structural support within the skin and underlying tissues. As we age, changes in collagen and other components of the facial tissues contribute to loss of firmness, volume and support.

Following Sculptra treatment, the PLLA stimulates the tissues to produce new collagen. This response develops over the following weeks and months.

Rather than correcting one particular line or hollow immediately, the aim is therefore a more gradual improvement in the quality and support of the treated tissues.

For a more detailed explanation, read What Is Sculptra and How Does It Work?

What Can Sculptra Treat?

Sculptra is particularly useful where facial ageing has produced a more generalised loss of volume, support and tissue quality rather than one isolated line or hollow.

Patients may notice a face that has lost tone, or loss of support through the cheeks or sides of the face resulting in sagging of the mid-face and increased jowls along the jawline. Patients may describe having a generally tired appearance or simply looking older and not themselves.

Commonly treated areas include the cheeks, temples, lateral face and lower face, depending upon the individual's pattern of ageing.

However, Sculptra isn't simply injected wherever somebody sees a line. Treatment needs to take account of facial anatomy, existing volume and tissue quality, and there are areas where Sculptra is not appropriate.

Who Is Sculptra Suitable For?

Sculptra may particularly appeal to patients who want:

• gradual rather than immediate improvement

• subtle restoration of facial support

• improvement that does not look obviously “done”

• a treatment based upon collagen stimulation rather than simply adding filler

• a longer-term approach to changes associated with facial ageing

It may be less appropriate for someone seeking an immediate result or precise correction of a particular feature. Suitability also depends upon medical history, anatomy, tissue quality and what the patient realistically hopes treatment will achieve.

And sometimes, after consultation and assessment, we may advise that another treatment, or occasionally no treatment, would be more appropriate.

Read more about whether you might be a suitable patient for Sculptra?

What Happens During a Sculptra Treatment?

A Sculptra treatment starts with careful assessment and planning. Once the treatment plan has been agreed, the reconstituted product is placed into selected areas beneath the skin using an appropriate injection technique.

The treatment itself is only one part of the appointment. Considerable attention is given beforehand to the distribution of facial volume loss and the areas in which collagen stimulation is likely to produce a useful improvement.

Some swelling or fullness can be apparent immediately after treatment. It is important to understand that this is not the final Sculptra result. Most of the initial fullness relates to the fluid used to reconstitute the product and will subside over the first 12-24 hours.

The genuine result develops later as the collagen response occurs.

How Many Sculptra Treatments Will I Need?

Sculptra is usually planned as a course of treatment rather than as a single injection session. The amount of product and number of sessions required depend upon age, the degree of facial volume and tissue change, skin condition and what we are trying to achieve.

For a younger patient, perhaps in their 30s or early 40s, looking for an early improvement in tissue quality and support, a single vial may sometimes be sufficient.

For most patients, we would usually recommend two vials at each treatment, with a further treatment approximately 4–6 weeks later. Depending upon the starting point and the result being sought, a third treatment may sometimes be appropriate.

We would rather assess the individual patient and their response than prescribe an identical course for everyone.

For more information see How Many Sculptra Sessions Will I Need?

When Will I See Sculptra Results and What Can I Expect?

Sculptra results are gradual rather than immediate.

There may be some apparent improvement directly after treatment because of the fluid used during the procedure, but this subsides. The genuine result develops later as collagen production increases.

Early improvement may become noticeable within the first month, with the result continuing to develop over the following months.

Rather than seeing one particular area suddenly change, patients often notice a more general improvement. The face may look less depleted, better supported, fresher and subtly restored rather than obviously altered.

The degree of improvement varies between individuals and depends upon the starting point, treatment plan and individual biological response.

This is why we advise patients not to judge Sculptra too early. With Sculptra, patience is very much part of the treatment.

Read more on patience as a virtue in aesthetic medicine — Sculptra as the Ultimate Test Case.

How Long Does Sculptra Last?

One of Sculptra's attractions is that its effects can be long-lasting, with clinical studies demonstrating improvement for up to two years and possibly a little longer.

But it is useful to understand what this actually means.

Sculptra stimulates your body to produce new collagen. Once formed, that collagen behaves like the rest of your own collagen. It does not suddenly disappear when Sculptra “wears off”.

Instead, it is subject to the same gradual processes that affect your existing collagen including natural ageing and environmental and lifestyle factors. The improvement therefore diminishes gradually over time rather than ending at a particular point.

How long an individual result remains noticeable will consequently vary from person to person.

Read more: How Long Does Sculptra Last?

You may also be interested in understanding the process of gradual collagen loss in Where Has My Collagen Gone?

What is the difference between Sculptra and Dermal Fillers?

Sculptra and dermal fillers can both have useful roles in facial rejuvenation, but they are not interchangeable treatments.

A hyaluronic acid dermal filler adds volume directly and can produce an immediate, precise correction.

Sculptra works gradually by stimulating collagen production, producing a broader and more progressive improvement.

Neither approach is inherently better.

The useful question is which type of result is appropriate for your face, at your particular age?

Sometimes Sculptra is appropriate. Sometimes dermal filler is more appropriate. And in selected patients the two approaches can complement one another.

Read more about: The Difference Between Sculptra and Dermal Fillers

Is Sculptra Safe?

Sculptra has been used internationally for more than 25 years and has an established clinical history.

However, no injectable aesthetic treatment is completely without side effects.

Temporary effects following treatment can include swelling, tenderness, redness and bruising. Rarely nodules can also occur.

There are also medical circumstances in which Sculptra may not be appropriate, which is why medical history and suitability form an important part of the consultation.

We believe patients should understand both the potential benefits and the limitations and risks before deciding whether to proceed.

For a fuller discussion, read our article on Is Sculptra Safe?

Aftercare and Recovery

Most patients are able to return to their normal daily activities the following day.

Your face would be puffy for the first 12-24 hours. Some temporary, redness, tenderness or bruising around the treated areas is quite common.

We will give you appropriate aftercare advice following treatment, including guidance about massage of the treated areas.

If you have any concerns after leaving the clinic, you can contact us for advice. Your care does not end when you leave the treatment room.

How Much Does Sculptra Cost?

Our current Sculptra treatment prices are:

One vial — £475
Two vials — £825

The total cost of a course depends upon the amount of product required and the number of treatment sessions appropriate for you.

We will discuss the likely treatment plan and expected overall cost at your consultation before you decide whether you wish to proceed.

With Sculptra Why Does the Consultation Matter?

The starting point is understanding what has changed in the face and what the patient wants to improve.

Because Sculptra develops gradually and may involve more than one treatment session, planning needs to take account not only of how the patient looks today but how the result is expected to develop over the following months.

Read more: The Sculptra Consultation — Why It Takes Longer and Why That Is a Good Thing.

More About Sculptra

We've deliberately kept this page focused on the information patients are most likely to need when considering treatment.

If you would like to explore individual aspects of Sculptra in greater detail, we have an extensive collection of articles covering how it works, suitability, safety, treatment planning, longevity and comparisons with other aesthetic treatments.

See here for Further Expert Guidance About Sculptra

And here for the questions people most often ask about Sculptra.

Considering Sculptra?

If you are considering Sculptra, your first step is a consultation with one of our doctors.

A consultation is where good treatment begins. There will no obligation to proceed. The aim is to provide information and clarity, not pressure to have a treatment. All our consultations and treatments are performed by our team of expert medical doctors.

To arrange a consultation please use the links below to telephone or email or to fill out our contact form click here.