Collagen-stimulating injections (Sculptra)

What it is

Sculptra is known as a bio-stimulatory filler, meaning it prompts your own skin to make new collagen. Sculptra is made of poly-L-lactic acid, carboxymethylcellulose, and non-pyrogenic mannitol.

Sources: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗ · FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗

How it's thought to work

Over time, the skin breaks the material down into water and carbon dioxide.

Source: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

What people use it for

• A doctor injects Sculptra under the skin to fill in fine lines and wrinkles.
• Sculptra is used to correct fine lines and wrinkles in the cheek area of people with a normal immune response.
• It is also used to treat thinning of the fat pads in the face linked to HIV.

Sources: FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗ · American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

What the research has found so far

The FDA says Sculptra may improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles in the cheeks.

Source: FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗

On Collagen-stimulating injections and aging, PubMed lists 82 trials in people, 142 studies that watched people over time, 35 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches

Side effects and risks

Ice may be given before and after treatment to ease discomfort and swelling.

Source: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

Who should be careful, and drug interactions

• The FDA says Sculptra should not be used by people with hypersensitivity to any of its components.
• It should not be used by people prone to raised firm scars such as keloids.
• It should not be used by people allergic to lidocaine or similar anesthetics when mixed with lidocaine.
• The ASDS says treatment needs to wait if there is a skin infection.
• The ASDS says patients who take blood thinners should stop them two weeks before injection, with their prescribing doctor's approval.
• It is also listed as not recommended for lupus or other connective tissue disorders.
• It is also listed as not recommended for people who are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Sources: FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗ · American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

Approval and legal status

The FDA approved Sculptra in 2004 for correcting facial fat loss in people with HIV. On April 25, 2023, the FDA approved Sculptra for cheek fine lines and wrinkles in people with a normal immune response. The ASDS says Sculptra Aesthetic received FDA approval in 2009 for improving nasolabial folds and other facial wrinkles.

Sources: FDA: Premarket Approval (PMA) ↗ · FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗ · American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

• FDA: Premarket Approval (PMA) ↗

What to expect: sessions, results and recovery

• The effects appear gradually over a few months.
• Multiple sessions are needed, often spaced one month apart.
• Effects typically last up to 24 months, after which more injections are needed to keep the effect.
• Patients are encouraged to massage the treated areas for the first 5 days, 5 times a day, for 5 minutes each.
• The ASDS says most patients need maintenance treatments for best results.

Source: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery: Injectable Poly-l-lactic Acid ↗

What studies and labels describe

What studies or labels describe, not a recommendation.

In a clinical study, patients received up to four injections to get the best result. Lidocaine, a numbing medicine, can be added just before use to reduce pain on injection.

Source: FDA: Sculptra – P030050/S039 ↗

Roughly what it costs

We don't have prices for this yet.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Is Collagen-stimulating injections a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
• Could Collagen-stimulating injections interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
• What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
• How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?