Aging is a natural process that can leave us looking in the mirror unhappy with the outward signs the toll of time leaves on our skin and appearance. You don’t have to live with the discomfort of being self-conscious or distracted by what the years have done to your face. Modern medicine has given us many innovative solutions for our concerns about the signs of aging, and one of the most exciting is Sculptra. Call the medical professionals at SKNCRAFT in Houston, TX to discuss this revolutionary treatment.
What Causes the Signs of Aging?
The passage of time causes us to age, but the actual, outward signs of aging on our skin are because of a decrease in the production of collagen. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and makes up our skin, ligaments and other connective tissue. You can also think of it as the building blocks to a youthful complexion, giving skin a smooth, supple look and feel.
Collagen works with elastin and hyaluronic acid. Elastin is responsible for skin’s elasticity and making sure it keeps its shape and goes back to its smooth position on the face. Hyaluronic acid is a lubricant for skin and helps it attract and keep moisture, giving skin a dewy, hydrated look and feel. As we age, collagen production slows down. After we turn 18, production is thought to drop by 1% every year afterward.
When your collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels lower, you can lose volume in your face because the proteins that helped it keep its structure aren’t being replaced as rapidly. Where structure falls, it creates voids, and our skin falls to fill those voids, creating wrinkles. Because our whole face can change structurally, some people may appear hollow around the eyes and cheeks leading to a tired, aged appearance.
Anti-Aging Treatments
There are many choices for anyone seeking basic information about changing their aesthetics to better represent how they feel and want to look. When you’re dealing specifically with volume loss and medium to deep-set wrinkles and folds, some of the best non-surgical options are injectables. An innovative addition to this family of solutions is Sculptra.
What Is Sculptra?
Sculptra is an injectable containing poly-L-lactic acid, a synthetic version of lactic acid. Lactic acid is naturally produced by your body during strenuous activity. Here, it stimulates the production of collagen over time, restoring lost facial volume. Originally approved by the FDA in 2004 to treat facial volume and fat loss because of illness, it was approved five years later for the treatment of deep facial folds and wrinkles in healthy people.
We all know most dermal fillers can give deep lines in one specific area an immediate fill. The results smooth and plump those areas and they last only a few months to a year. Sculptra is dramatically different from typical dermal fillers. Results aren’t immediate, but they can last over two years. The gel in Sculptra is slowly replaced by collagen the body makes in response to the treatment.
As the particles of the injections are absorbed, they’re replaced with collagen, so results continue to improve over four to six months, with optimal results showing at or around the nine-month mark. Over 80% of clients say they are still highly satisfied with their results 25 months after their last injection. Because Sculptra targets and builds up the foundation of the face, the results can be transformative.
What to Expect
Because the treatment is minimally invasive, there is no real preparation. Your provider may ask that you stop taking blood-thinning herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and aspirin for a week before your appointment. On the day of the treatment, you’ll start with a clean face and a topical numbing or cooling agent will be placed on the area of your face to be injected, ensuring your maximum comfort.
A series of small injections will be made in the targeted areas. After treatment, there is no downtime, and many clients go back to their normal routines immediately after their appointment. Your provider will send you home with instructions if there’s any specific aftercare routine they would like you to follow.
Most aftercare just involves staying out of the sun unprotected and avoiding strenuous activity for a few days after treatment.
Results
Results happen slowly but can last more than two years. If you have an immediate need for results because of something happening soon on your social calendar, talk to your provider about your options. Some clients will get the results they want after just one treatment, but most will opt for 3-4 sessions to maximize their results.
The most common result is the reduction of the appearance of wrinkles. The foundation under the wrinkles is fortified, so the skin plumps up and smooths out. Skin thins as we age, making our bony features, like our cheeks, stick out. This treatment softens the look of those features by adding fullness through the development of new collagen.
Areas of the face that seem to hollow out and become shallow as we age, like the temple area, can be plumped up. This treatment produces results gradually so the results will never look “over-done” or unnatural.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
There is no pretesting for this treatment and almost every adult in generally good health is a great candidate. This is a minimally invasive treatment with little to no downtime, so even people on a busy and hectic schedule can fit this treatment in. You won’t go back to work looking like you’ve had work done. The results will happen gradually, making you look well-rested and more vibrant.
Only your medical professional can determine if you and your concerns are a good fit for this treatment. Ask your doctor about how this treatment could help you with:
- Bony cheekbones
- Marionette lines
- Hollow temple area
- Nasolabial folds
- Neck lines
- Loss of facial volume
- Loss of facial definition
- Deep facial lines and wrinkles
If you have a more immediate need for results because of an upcoming social event or have other concerns you’d like addressed, your provider may recommend other treatments to use with, in place of at a different time than Sculptra.
Injectable Anti-Aging Treatments
A comprehensive skincare and aesthetic center will have a menu for you and your provider to discuss and draw from when making a plan of treatment to achieve the results you’re looking for. There are solutions for just about every skincare concern and to fit almost every budget.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are a great way to get instant and natural-looking results. There are many to choose from because each one is formulated to address different concerns in different ways. Some fillers are designed to stay close to the site of injection, while others are supposed to dissipate and disperse. There are dermal fillers to address:
- Marionette lines
- Thinning lips
- Vertical lip lines
- Nasolabial folds
- Chin wrinkles
- Acne scars
- Symmetry
BOTOX
BOTOX is the number one cosmetic procedure in the world. Unlike fillers that address wrinkles by filling them, BOTOX addresses the source of wrinkles—movement. Over the years, your skin is subject to you making the same facial expressions repeatedly. After a few decades of this, your skin can become a map of those muscle movements. BOTOX is a neuromodulator and is used to relax the muscles that make us look angry, tired or sad.
When those muscles are relaxed, the skin on top of them smooths out, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. In the hands of a skilled professional, BOTOX can also “wake up” the expressions that make us look rested and more youthful. Aside from smoothing wrinkles, BOTOX can raise drooping brows, lift a down-turned mouth and define the chin and jawline.
Other Anti-Aging Treatments
Injectables aren’t the only treatment available to brighten an aging complexion. Talk to your provider about other treatments used to reverse the signs of aging.
Dermalinfusion
If it seems like your skincare routine has lost its ability to get the results it used to, it may be your skin. Over time, dead and dull layers of skin sitting on top of our face can make it difficult for even the best skincare products to penetrate. Dermalinfusion is a powerful treatment for those who don’t want harsh, invasive procedures but still seek noticeable results.
Dermalinfusion is three treatments rolled into one. A handheld device is passed over your skin to exfoliate dead skin cells, extract impurities from your pores, and deliver nourishing serums to your skin. It leaves clients with a glowing, more youthful complexion and there’s no downtime after treatment.
Talk to your provider about Dermalinfusion for treating many of your skincare concerns. This treatment can be tailored to your specific needs, including addressing:
- Oily skin
- Acne
- Clogged pores
- Hyperpigmentation
- Sun damage
- Uneven skin texture
- Fine lines and wrinkles
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels use a variety of ingredients, depending on the peel, to exfoliate off the top few layers of dull, dead and damaged skin, causing them to peel away. When this happens, your body starts its natural healing and regenerative process by boosting its production of collagen. When the new layers of skin heal, those layers are smoother, brighter and more evenly toned than before.
There are different intensities based on the concerns you have and the results you’d like to experience. Talk to your provider about whether a chemical peel can help:
- Hyperpigmentation
- Acne and other surface-level scarring
- Dullness
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Uneven texture and tone
BBL
BBL stands for BroadBand Light and is a treatment designed to eliminate skin imperfections like sun damage, age spots, discoloration, redness, acne, and unwanted hair. It uses pulsed light to heat the top layer of your skin, which stimulates your body’s natural cell growth. When your body works to heal what it perceives to be an injury, it boosts the production of collagen so your skin will transform your complexion into a more vibrant, glowing and youthful version of itself.
This treatment gets amazing results without being invasive or painful. It can be done in as little as 30 minutes and requires no downtime. Clients can go back to their normal routines immediately after their session.
Call for a Consultation
There are so many innovative options to restore your skin and have a more vibrant, glowing and youthful appearance. While you may have earned every wrinkle, you don’t have to live with those imperfections or signs of aging that distract you from fully enjoying life. When people love how they look, they have higher self-esteem, more confidence, and an overall more positive outlook.
Call the professionals at SKNCRAFT in Houston, TX for a consultation with a member of their expert and caring staff. They will work with you to develop a plan customized to your specific concerns, and they are committed to helping you achieve the results you’re looking for. A new, more youthful and invigorated you is just a call away.