Sculptra
What to Expect
Preparing for treatment
Two weeks before your appointment try to avoid nuts, seeds, fish, fish oil, NSAIDs, supplements, and anything that prolongs bleeding. This will significantly helps minimize bruising, bleeding, and swelling.
Remember that a few days after treatment you may look as you did before treatment. This is normal. Sculptra Aesthetic works to gradually replace lost collagen. Best results and full correction usually occur after several treatments.
Arnica & Bromelain Supplements: You can start Arnica or Bromelain supplements a week prior to the injection to help with post-injection bruises. These are anti-inflammatories help to speed up the healing and bruising process.
Medications and Supplements: Talk to your primary care doctor or physician specialist. If you are on blood thinners, you may need to stop these a few days to weeks prior to your treatment. Speak to your prescribing physician regarding the safety of stopping and restarting these medications. We do not recommend patients that who are on life-saving medications stop their medications in order to have any cosmetic procedures performed.
day of the treatment
Eat and drink before your treatment. It is not uncommon for patients to get lightheaded during their injection. Having good blood sugar and being hydrated will make it less likely that you will feel queasy during your treatment.
20 – 30 minutes of topical numbing is recommended. We will use a numbing cream application prior to injections. The numbing cream needs 20 – 30 minutes to exert its full effect, hence you must arrive on time for us to be able to properly numb you for your treatment. Late arrivals may be canceled.
Wear loose-fitting clothing. We recommend loose-fitting clothing that is easy to move in or remove for your treatment. Tight clothing may cause irritation to the skin and treatment area.
post-treatment care
Have an ice pack ready: Within the first 24 hours of treatment, apply a cloth-wrapped ice pack to the treated area for a few minutes at a time. Never apply ice directly to the skin. The cold will help reduce common swelling.
Avoid excess sunlight and UV exposure: Protecting your skin from the sun is always important, but after treatment, excessive sunlight and UV lamp exposure should be avoided until any initial swelling and redness go away. Your doctor will provide guidelines on sunscreen protection and how to avoid excessive sunlight.
Anti-inflammatory options: Pineapples have natural anti-inflammatory properties to them that help to minimize swelling after injections. You may apply or take Arnica tablets or Bromelain tablets to help decrease the amount of bruising.
Tylenol for Pain. It is normal to experience some pain and sensitivity in the area of the injection. Most patients find that Tylenol can help relieve this post-injection pain. Avoid NSAIDs such as Motrin and ibuprofen as these can make swelling and bruising worse.
Avoid strenuous workouts and alcohol for 24 hours if possible.
notes
Treated areas may be red, swollen, and bruised for the first 2-7 days.
If bruising persists, continue Arnica supplements, and apply topical Arnica gel, drink fresh pineapple juice, and/or take Bromelain supplements to help bruising resolve faster. If you are concerned, please contact us.
Follow-up treatments should be scheduled about every 4-6 weeks.
Visible results may not be seen until 2-3 sessions have been completed.
Results can last more than two years.
