When it comes to facial fillers, Botox definitely tops the list of available treatments, it being a popular choice among hollywood celebrities. But there is a new treatment climbing right up there with botox, and it slowly becoming increasingly popular – it’s called Sculptra.
Sculptra is a substance that was long used in dissolvable surgical stitches. As the stitches faded, it would encourage collagen production in the skin, causing it to heal faster. In much the same way, it is now used for wrinkles. The substance in Sculptra, poly-L-lactic acid solution, encourages the skin’s natural collagen production system. This in turn will not only erase wrinkles, but slow down the development of future ones with regular treatments.
So what are the differences between Botox and Sculptra? Mainly, Botox gives instant results right after one treatment, while Sculptra takes a few weeks of treatment to begin working. Although it would seem that Botox would then be more beneficial, it is not the case.
Botox works right away by freezing the muscles in the face that it is injected into. This makes the wrinkles, lines and bends in the skin disappear, and give the skin a firmer look. Botox, however, is not natural and needs to be touched up after a few weeks. It does not give the skin any other benefit than temporarily improved cosmetic appearance.
Sculptra other hand, takes a few treatments spread out over a few weeks to work. Although you don’t get instantly visible results, the benefit of Sculptra is that it will encourage collagen production which slows down aging naturally, and will keep doing so in the future.
So which treatment is best for you? That really depends on the results you’d like. If you need immediate results for a special event or just don’t want to wait, then Botox is the best choice. If you can wait however, and would like natural-looking results, than Sculptra that would be beneficial.
Whatever your choice, speak with your doctor to find out what they think as well. The condition of your skin will also have input in your final decision. Both treatments can leave you looking younger and firmer however!
