Sculptra

Sculptra is an excellent facial filler for skin rejuvenation in areas of the face that have lost soft tissue and skin volume. The most common areas for injection of Sculptra are along the smile lines, lower eyelids, cheeks, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and skin creases. Patients notice an immediate improvement followed by a natural correction of volume loss over 90 days after injection. Dr. Karamanoukian is the surgical director and plastic surgeon at Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Center in Santa Monica and can provide you with expertise in facial fillers and Botox injections. During your consultation, he can also offer a comprehensive analysis of your skin, and options to refresh your face with the most advanced lasers and plastic surgery treatments. 

Top Sculptra Injector - Santa Monica and Los Angeles:

Sculptra injections are uniquely natural-looking when compared to other facial fillers on the market. Our expert facial filler injector, Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, is a double board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery. He can provide you with excellent options for treatment using a combination of Sculptra injections, lasers, RF skin tightening, and skin resurfacing. Using a combination approach, he can achieve Hidef results with minimal risk or discomfort. We take great pride in providing you with expertise in facial filler injections and can happily offer you a combination approach using Sculptra for specific areas of the face and Restylane or Juvederm for others. 

FAQ About Sculptra:

Q: Is Sculptra a facial filler?

A: Sculptra is among the top facial fillers used in the United States. Its popularity derives from its high safety record and the fact that it can provide youthful volume rejuvenation without making you look overplumped or overfilled. Sculptra is made of lactic acid, a naturally-found chemical in your body. Sculptra is an injectable that is infused into the layer right below your skin, stimulating your tissue to produce its own collagen. Within weeks of treatment, Sculptra promotes collagen deposition, which adds natural volume to your face and eliminates fine lines and deep lines caused by a loss of collagen. Sculptra can be used on many areas of the face, mostly because it is very safe to use with minimal downtime and recovery. 

Q: How do I know if I am a candidate for Sculptra or other facial fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, and Radiesse)? 

A: There are many fillers on the market that are FDA-Approved and each one of them has its specific advantages. Restylane and Juvederm are hyaluronic acid fillers that work well to add instant volume to the face and lips. Radiesse and Sculptra are stimulatory fillers that work to promote natural collagen production by your tissue. We have a very comprehensive cosmetic center in Santa Monica and offer patients many options in terms of facial fillers. Once you schedule an appointment, Dr. Karamanoukian can go over your concerns and help you choose the right filler for you. In some cases, we may also recommend lasers or RF treatments to improve skin quality, tighten pores, reduce wrinkles, and tighten the skin. You may consider Sculptra specifically if you have a generalized loss of volume along the cheeks, marionette lines, jowls, and cheeks. 

Q: Does Sculptra last longer than Restylane? 

A: Sculptra and Restylane are both facial fillers. Restylane is made of a hyaluronic acid gel, whereas Sculptra is a liquid poly-lactic acid that stimulates your own natural collagen to form. Sculptra will induce collagen production which has been shown to last up to two years and longer. Restylane injections typically last about one year. 

Q: How much does Sculptra cost? 

A: Sculptra is priced by the number of syringes you use. Typically, a full session of Sculptra injections costs the same as one syringe of Restylane or Juvederm. The benefits of Sculptra or Restylane and Juvederm is that it will likely last a lot longer than the typical hyaluronic acid facial fillers. 
 
Q: Is a skin test needed before Sculptra injections? 
A: Collagen is a popular facial filler that requires skin testing prior to injection. Hyaluronic acid facial fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane do not require pre-testing of the skin. Sculptra, like hyaluronic acid fillers, does not require a skin-allergy test prior to injection. Once you arrive in our Santa Monica medical spa on Montana Avenue, our knowledgeable and experienced team of clinicians and nurses will answer all of your questions, suggest numbing cream for your injection, and prepare you for your Sculptra treatment. We ask that you avoid aspirin and ibuprofen before your injection. 

Q: How can I avoid bruising with facial filler injections? 

A: Facial fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, Sculptra) and Botox (Dysport, Xeomin) can cause bruising. Some medications can increase your chance of bruising, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, alleve, advil, and coumadin. In addition, some foods can increase your risk of bruising, including those that are rich in Vitamin E, such as fish; or even the intake of Fish Oil and Omega oil. Dr. Karamanoukian recommends Plato's Bruise Balm before and after injections if you have a bruise or are likely to get bruises.