Performed in the higher end salons and medi-spas, the fractional laser promises long term results and it is the treatment that keeps on giving for months to come. In fact you may still be seeing beautifying results up to six months later and the effects are said to be long lasting – 2-3 years by some reports.

How It Works…

The process, on average, takes a few hours to perform. Your down time (again, on average) will be 2-4 days in which you will not want to socialize and perhaps not even be seen by anyone at all. You will experience redness, flaking, perhaps blistering. This is all largely dependant on your skin’s condition, how deep the doctor went into your skin, how many passes of the laser you had and how good your doctor was at the skin care treatment.

There are certainly horror stories online about fractional laser gone wrong. After quite a few hours of research I’ve surmised that most of the poor results were either due to a doctor that was less skilled, the client not purchasing the after care kit, and/or allegic reactions after care. Some of these may be: pets, dust, fragrance on sheets and linens.

The procedure is a literal heat induced creation of tiny tunnels of your skin. The skin swells and the untouched healthy cells grow over and into the tunnels created – giving your skin a smoother surface. Due to the tiny ‘hurts’ your body kicks into action and starts creating more collagen to send to the skin’s surface – creating a youthful, plumper look to your face. Everything ‘lifts’ – if anything was sagging previously.

This treatment has just been approved in Canada (sometime in the past year) and is being performed at clinics across the country from $800-$3,800. Although the lower end fees may seem that you’ll have a less skilled doctor or insufficient treatment to see the results you’d like – that isn’t always the case. What you should ask for when considering one clinic, medi-spa or doctor over another – are before and after photos and testimonials.

I am currently planning on having this treatment done to my facial skin. When I do I will create a daily journal with videos and photos so you can see firsthand how the treatment goes. If possible I will take the video right into the treatment room with me. If you are a doctor looking for a model and a lot of free, future promotion for fractional laser treatments, please contact me using the form below – perhaps we can work out a deal.

The average person opting for Sculptra treatments will have 2 to 3 treatments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Once your first treatment is underway you will see noticable improvement in facial wrinkles and hollow zones of your skin. In a few days time however the water that is contained in the injection will be absorbed by your body and it will seem that your wrinkles will reappear. Don’t worry this is the natural process.

One of my favorite transformations - see www.Sculptra.ca for more!

After the initial injection your own skin’s collagen production is stimulated so even though it may appear that the wrinkes returned you will begin to see daily improvement over the course of the next few weeks. On the fourth week you should re-visit with your doctor or medi-spa for assessment. Take note that the best doctors in the field of skin care treatments with Sculptra are used to seeing excited patients at the 4 week mark.

Many women opt for an all-over Sculptra application but you might decide with the doctor’s consultation to just treat specific areas of your face such as your temples, eye rings, cheeks, nasiolabial folds, your marionette lines or your chin. In effect it is all about where you’re seeing the strongest effects of aging and how you would like your face to look after your treatments. You can, in effect, re-sculpt your entire look with a skilled practioner.

After your first and subsequent treatments you’ll need to do a little at home follow up. You only need to massage each treated section of your face 5 minutes, 5 times a day. Do this for 5 days and you’ll have a nice even distribution of the product under your skin which eventually leads to a more natural-looking end result. That’s all – no more special care is needed and in most cases you can start wearing makeup again within the same day (consult with your doctor though on each visit).

How much are you paying for the treatment? On average, Sculptra treatments range from $2,000 per treatment for one area of the face, to $5,000 per treatment for an all-over procedure.

That time frame makes Sculptra one of the most desirable skin care treatments. No more running into the clinic or spa for repeat injections of Botox, Restalyne or other dermal fillers every 3-6 months (although to be clear some fillers can last up to a year and a half on some people in some areas of the face).

Sculptra is most often recommended to men and women who are looking stressed, tired and starting to sag at the jowls or show a sunken look under the eyes and on the sides of the face. Treatments are non-invasive and has no known side effects. As this is a relatively newly released technology, it is important to note that the materials used in Sculptra treatments are not new to the field. In fact the substance has been used in the medical profession for over thirty years.

How Does Sculptra Work?

Sculptra is a filler, yes, but your transformation won’t be overnight. In fact the materials used stimulates your own production of collagen so you could be noticing improvements up to 3-4 months after your previous treatment. Your skin will literally tighten and smooth out after each session.

Although Sculptra promotes natural collagen production, it is a synthetic (poly-L-lactic acid derived from alpha-hydroxy fruit acids which is found in many over the counter skin care products). You might also like to know that this procedure has been in use for over 10 years now, in over 30 countries.

So, What’s It Like to Have Done?

On a pain factor of 1 to 10, with ten being the highest, Sculptra injections have been rated on average on the 2-3 scale (just uncomfortable). Your doctor should give you a topical and numbing medication as the materials is injected by a needle.

As stated above, the average session takes less than half an hour and most people only need 3-5 sessions to restore them to their former glory.