At some point, you may look in the mirror and think: That’s me, but it’s not me. You recognize yourself, of course, but the way you feel inside no longer matches up with how you appear on the outside.
This is Dr. Tae Ho Kim, plastic and reconstructive surgeon with the NYGPS with insights about an injectable filler called Sculptra that can give your face a more youthful appearance by enhancing lost volume, or fullness.
It’s not just wrinkles and lines that age faces, but loss of volume, or fullness. Collagen, a protein substance that makes up the underlying skin’s connective tissue and gives our cheeks fullness and elasticity, provides a youthful appearance. Over the years we produce less collagen; our cheeks sag, which also accentuates folds and lines around the mouth.
Now, the rate of collagen loss is unique to each person, depending on factors like genetics (was your mom or dad one of those people who looked young always?) or damage from the sun or smoking. You may look and feel fantastic as you age, which is wonderful. But if your face appears drawn and drooping, and you’re not real happy with that, injectable fillers in general are great materials for non-surgical enhancements. You clearly want to look good, not swollen, so it’s important to know which filler to use where and why.
For the cheeks, jawline, and sides of the forehead, the facial injectable Sculptra may be the way to improve your facial volume without worrying about the “swollen look.” Sculptra is made from poly-L-lactic acid, which stimulates the tissues under your skin to produce more of your own collagen. Sculptra treatment takes a bit of patience because it typically takes two or three sessions over a few months to complete; the benefit is that your results should last for around two years.
As plastic and reconstructive surgeons at NYGPS, we’re very knowledgeable about facial structure, and very skilled in properly administering Sculptra in the right places to enhance your appearance in a natural-looking way. As Sculptra starts working to stimulate your skin to produce collagen, your face will begin to look fuller and firmer, and therefore more youthful and refreshed.
