Sculptra is very different from other dermal fillers. The most popular dermal fillers, like Restylane, Juvederm, and Voluma, are made of hyaluronic acid(HA). These fillers create an immediate result that very gradually dissipates as the body metabolizes the HA. Typically the dissolving process takes between 6 and 18 months. On the other hand, Sculptra works slowly over 1-3 months to stimulate your body to build more of its own new cells (collagen cells) for results that last over 2 years (they’re your own cells, so they stick around for a really long time).
Where HA fillers are used to spot treat areas of concern, Sculptra treats wide-spread concerns. Your entire face ages and loses collagen, so it makes sense that natural facial rejuvenation should be done in a global, widespread process to create the most natural and balanced results. On the other hand, while Sculptra can’t really be used to correct asymmetries or unbalanced proportions in the way HA fillers can. For example, say your undereyes have lose fat volume much faster than the rest of your face. That is not easily corrected with Sculptra, but is better-suited to an HA filler spot treatment. Lip augmentation is better treated with HA filler, whereas lip lines are often better-treated with Sculptra or other collagen-stimulating treatments.