When it comes to tackling the signs of aging in your face, few options are as quick and easy as cosmetic injectables — nearly 8 million of these treatments are administered each year in the United States. These numbers will undoubtedly increase as dermal fillers are more advanced than ever before, especially with the introduction of biostimulators. The Aesthetic Nurse Specialists at Aesthetic Assets have been reaching for this ‘paint brush’ in their beauty box for several years.
To give you an idea about why this approach to anti-aging is so effective, our team at Aesthetic Assets, including Stacey Molina, Pam Andow, Tamara Kaye, and Natallie Swain thought we’d take this opportunity to discuss two biostimulators — Sculptra® and BellaFill®.
Biostimulators — the next generation of dermal fillers
Many of the dermal fillers in use today contain hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance already found in the human body. When we inject these fillers, they add immediate volume, and they continue to work by encouraging moisture retention — all of which helps to offset the loss of collagen in your skin.
While effective, dermal fillers with hyaluronic acid do eventually get absorbed by your body, and results typically last about 6-12 months.
With biostimulators, we introduce a biocompatible substance into your dermis that encourages and stimulates your natural collagen production over time, allowing us to give you much longer-lasting results.
At Aesthetic Assets we offer two different types of biostimulators, which can be used to diminish most facial wrinkles, and we discuss each below.
The Sculptra difference
Sculptra is an FDA-approved injectable that does a fantastic job restoring volume by replenishing lost facial collagen. The active ingredient in Sculptra is poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), which is a collagen stimulator.
When we inject Sculptra, the PLLA contains microparticles that act as a sort of scaffold upon which new collagen strands can form. Over time, this new structure deep in your dermis lifts and smooths your skin, giving you a fuller, less wrinkled appearance.
In the clinical trials, Sculptra provided participants with at least 24 months of more youthful skin, though results may vary. Whenever the signs of aging begin to crop up again, the good news is that we can quickly whisk them away with another round of Sculptra injections.
BellaFill goes the distance
BellaFill is another biostimulator that we offer, and it provided up to 5 years of incredible results for its clinical trial patients. This injectable contains tiny polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres that are suspended in a smooth collagen gel. This gel provides you with immediate results at the same time as the PMMA microspheres set up a foundation for new collagen production.
Over the weeks, months, and years following your injections, your collagen adheres to the microspheres, creating a new support structure that lifts, tightens, and smooths your skin.
These long-lasting results (did we mention they can last up to 5 years?) are natural and soft, keeping people guessing as to what’s making you look so young. In addition, BellaFill is FDA approved for the treatment of acne scarring as well as volume replacement in the facial folds.
Both Sculptra and BellaFill can be used to restore facial volume but we’ve also used both products off label in areas like neck, chest, elbows and knees.
If you have more questions about the biostimulators we offer or you’d like to go ahead and make an appointment for BellaFill or Sculptra, please contact our office in Scottsdale, Arizona.
