For Sculptra, how far apart should the initial series of 2-4 treatments be?

Dr. Irwin
October 21, 2013
Hi Dr. Irwin, I just had my 2nd sulptra injection (4 wks after my 1st injection) & scheduled for my 3rd injection 4 wks after that) Should I be waiting longer between my injections to get better results or more bang for my buck? :) Thanks for all that you do!

This really varies from dermatologist to dermatologist. The company recommends a minimum of 4 weeks. Many of us around the country who have been using this product for many years, are stretching those intervals out. In our office, we will often go 6-10 weeks between treatments 1 and 2 and 8-12 weeks between treatment 2 and 3, example. But again, there are reasonable differences on these times even among experts. Sculptra can be used by experienced dermatologists and plastic surgeons in the face to restore lost volume and contour.  It is being used (not FDA approved) off-label in other areas like the chest by experts.

 

The reason for longer intervals: If the product takes 8-12 weeks to fully develop, the doctor can’t see the full correction (or close to it) after 4 weeks, this sometimes leads to overcorrection and asymmetries in the final result.

 

The reason for shorter intervals: You (the patient) will see the results faster and we live in a very impatient culture.  🙂

 

Dr. I

 

Read Dr. Irwin’s article on a Guide to Sculptra.

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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