Sculptra for the body: arms, thighs and buttocks
A regenerative biostimulator that prompts your skin to rebuild its own collagen and elastin, for firmness, smoothness and contour. Planned and placed by our doctors.
Sculptra®, by Galderma
Most people know Sculptra as a face treatment. Galderma, its maker, also describes its use on the arms, thighs, buttocks and décolletage, with the goals of firmness, smoothness and contour.
Its active ingredient is poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a biocompatible material that the body breaks down naturally. PLLA has been used in medicine since the 1960s and in dissolvable stitches since the 1970s. Sculptra itself was first approved in Europe in 1999 and is now used in more than 40 countries.
Your skin does the rebuilding
Most injectables add something. Sculptra prompts your skin to rebuild its own support, working across all three layers of the skin, as Galderma describes it. For the full story, read how Sculptra works.
Placed with precision
Your doctor places Sculptra’s PLLA microparticles in the deeper layers of the skin, in the body areas you agreed at consultation.
Recognised by your skin
Your skin recognises the microparticles and responds with a gentle, controlled healing response that re-engages its natural renewal process.
Collagen and elastin rebuilt
Fibroblasts, the cells that make collagen, go to work. In Galderma’s studies, type I collagen increased by 66.5% at three months.
Renewed from within
Over the following months the PLLA is naturally broken down and absorbed by the body, leaving your own new collagen and elastin behind.
Arms, thighs and buttocks
On the body, the aim is better skin rather than a filled area. Galderma lists the goals as firmness, smoothness and contour, and it reports improvement in the appearance of cellulite too. If crepey skin on your arms or thighs is what brought you here, Sculptra is one of two routes we look at, alongside microneedling radiofrequency: see our guide to firming crepey skin on the body.
Your doctor looks at the whole area with you and agrees where treatment makes sense. Galderma also lists the décolletage, which has its own guide: Sculptra for the décolletage.
- Arms
- Thighs, including the posterior thighs
- Buttocks
What Galderma reports
of patients saw firmer skin on the body one year after treatment
after treatment, improvements in firmness, smoothness and the appearance of cellulite are still visible
on the posterior thighs, improvements seen as early as one month, continuing at 2 months and 1 year
Figures are Galderma’s. Individual results vary.
Sculptra results, from Galderma
These clinical images show the regenerative response on the face, before and 12 months after a course of Sculptra. They are Galderma’s images, not Wellface patients, and they do not show body results. Individual results vary.
The science in motion, from Galderma
A course, built gradually
Consultation
A doctor assesses the area, your skin and your history, checks that Sculptra is suitable for you and plans the vials and sessions your goals need.
First session
Around 45 minutes. Any fullness afterwards is fluid and swelling that settles within days, and your doctor may prescribe a short massage routine.
The course
Galderma describes a typical course of about three sessions over a few months. Your doctor reviews you between sessions and adjusts the plan.
Results build
Change develops gradually as new collagen forms, so the improvement arrives quietly rather than all at once.
Sculptra with Emsculpt Neo for contour
Sculptra works on the skin. Emsculpt Neo works beneath it, using electromagnetic energy and radiofrequency on muscle and fat, with no injections. Because they address different layers of the same area, they can be planned together when contour is the goal.
Our doctors place Sculptra, and our practitioners lead Emsculpt Neo, which is available in Cobham and Wimbledon. You can see how both fit together in our guide to body contouring treatments.
Before you decide
Sculptra is not a lip treatment, and because it is not hyaluronic acid it cannot be dissolved like a filler. That is why every Sculptra treatment at Wellface is planned and placed by a doctor.
Swelling, tenderness, bruising, redness and itching can occur after treatment, and lumps or nodules can develop later, which your review is there to check. As with any injectable, rare vascular complications are possible, and our doctors follow established emergency protocols.
Pricing
Sculptra is priced per vial. Body areas generally need more product than the face, and your doctor plans the number of vials with you at consultation. Additional vials are discounted from the fourth.
Prices include VAT.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Galderma describes its use on the arms, thighs, buttocks and decolletage, with the goals of firmness, smoothness and contour. Your doctor will advise which areas make sense for you.
That depends on the area and the change you want. Body areas generally need more product than the face, and your doctor plans the number of vials with you at consultation.
Sculptra is £500 per vial, and additional vials are discounted from the fourth. Your consultation and review are included.
Sculptra works gradually as new collagen forms. On the posterior thighs, Galderma reports improvements seen as early as one month, continuing at 2 months and 1 year. Individual results vary.
Galderma reports improvements in firmness, smoothness and the appearance of cellulite that are still visible one year after treatment. Its figure of more than two years relates to the face, so we do not apply it to the body.
Galderma reports improvements in the appearance of cellulite that are still visible one year after treatment. Your doctor can talk you through what is realistic for your skin.
It can be an option, because it aims to improve firmness and smoothness rather than add volume. Microneedling radiofrequency is the other route we look at for crepey skin, and your doctor will advise which suits your skin.
Those are Galderma's own clinical images, and they show the regenerative response on the face. They are not Wellface patients and they do not show body results. Individual results vary.
Yes, they can be planned together for contour. Sculptra works on the skin, while Emsculpt Neo works on muscle and fat. Your doctor and practitioner agree the order between them.
Only our doctors. Sculptra is available at our Cobham, Esher and Wimbledon clinics, and appointments take around 45 minutes.
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