Injectables
Sculptra is an FDA-approved injectable collagen stimulator made from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). Instead of filling a line, it prompts your skin to rebuild its own collagen, so volume returns gradually over three to six months and can last up to two years. At Radiance Wellness & Aesthetics in Pleasanton, Zayda Yeoh, NP, a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner trained in injectables through Aesthetic Medical Educators Training and IAPAM, plans and injects it herself. Most people need a series of two to three sessions, mapped out at a consultation.
A hyaluronic acid filler adds volume the day it is placed and lasts 6 to 18 months. Sculptra works the other way round. Its PLLA microparticles act as tiny scaffolds under the skin, and over the following weeks your body builds fresh collagen around them. As that new framework strengthens, the skin regains thickness and support, contours smooth out and hollows fill from within.
Because the result develops slowly, there is no "overnight" look. Friends notice you look well; they cannot say why. Sculptra is the treatment for the person who would rather nobody could name what changed.
Clinical studies have also shown Sculptra improving the skin's radiance, texture and tone alongside the volume. It is FDA-approved and has more than two decades of clinical use behind it. For immediate volume in the lips, a hyaluronic acid filler is the right tool instead.
Sculptra is best in the larger areas of the face, where volume and structure have thinned:
It is not typically used in delicate areas such as the lips. Zayda uses a hyaluronic acid filler there instead, often in the same plan.
The appointment
Before. The consultation, where Zayda assesses your facial structure, asks what you want to restore and plans the number of sessions and the areas. For a few days before treatment, avoid blood-thinning medications and supplements unless a doctor has directed otherwise.
During. Sculptra is injected into the planned areas with a fine needle or a cannula. Most patients describe it as mildly uncomfortable, and numbing options are available. Expect about 30 to 45 minutes in the chair.
After. Little to no downtime. Slight swelling, redness or tenderness at the injection sites usually resolves within a few days. The part you do yourself is the massage: the 5-5-5 rule, five minutes, five times a day, for five days, which keeps the result even.
Results. Early improvement may show within weeks, and the full result unfolds over three to six months as the new collagen forms. With the recommended series, typically two to three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart, results can last up to two years.
Candidacy
You are likely a good candidate if you:
Sculptra may not be right for you if you have an active skin infection, certain autoimmune conditions or a history of keloid scarring. Zayda screens for all of that at the consultation. Sculptra also pairs with Botox, microneedling and laser treatments when the plan calls for more than volume.
Cost
Sculptra is priced by the vial and planned as a series, so the cost depends on how many vials each session needs and how many sessions your degree of volume loss calls for. Two to three sessions is typical. Zayda gives you the full plan and the total at the consultation, before anything is opened.
A Radiance membership discounts aesthetic treatments, which matters over a series, and payment plans are available.
Your provider
Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
Zayda's injectables training came through Aesthetic Medical Educators Training, IAPAM and private sessions alongside experienced injectors. She leads hormone optimization, medical weight loss and aesthetic care at Radiance Wellness & Aesthetics in Pleasanton, and plans Sculptra as a series rather than a single visit.
Meet ZaydaClient reviews
Patients rate Radiance Wellness & Aesthetics 4.9 out of 5 across more than 93 Google reviews.
Questions
Still unsure? The aesthetic consultation is $40, credited toward your treatment, and Zayda will answer anything this page does not.
Sculptra is a collagen stimulator, and a hyaluronic acid filler is a volume replacement. Filler adds volume immediately and lasts 6 to 18 months. Sculptra's poly-L-lactic acid prompts your skin to build its own collagen over three to six months, and the result can last up to two years.
Most patients get the best result from two to three Sculptra sessions, spaced about four to six weeks apart. Zayda recommends the number based on your goals and how much volume has been lost.
Sculptra results can last up to two years after the recommended series. Because the volume is your own collagen rather than a gel, it fades gradually rather than all at once.
Not much. Most patients return to normal activities the same day. Mild swelling, redness or tenderness may show up and usually subsides in a few days. Following the massage routine, five minutes, five times a day, for five days, keeps the result even.
No. Sculptra is best for restoring volume and structure in larger areas such as the cheeks, temples and jawline. For the lips, Zayda recommends a hyaluronic acid filler, and the two are often planned together.
At Radiance Wellness & Aesthetics the cost of Sculptra depends on how many vials each session needs and how many sessions your plan includes, typically two to three. Zayda maps the series and its total at a consultation, with a member discount on aesthetic treatments and payment plans if you want to spread the cost.
Keep exploring
Explore Injectables Read: Injectable results timeline: immediate vs gradual
Performed at the studio in Pleasanton, for clients across Pleasanton, Danville, Dublin, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, San Leandro, San Lorenzo and San Ramon.
Your next step
If you want the change to be yours, and gradual, Sculptra is the conversation to have. Zayda will tell you whether it fits your face, how many sessions it takes and what the series costs, before you decide anything.
It takes less than a minute.
