Non Surgical Procedures: Dermal & SubDermal Fillers

Sculptra™ and Sculptra® Aesthetic in Palo Alto

Sculptra™ is an injectable product that corrects the signs of facial fat loss by restoring lost volume in the skin. Facial fat loss, or lipoatrophy, is the loss of fat beneath the skin, which can result in sunken cheeks, wrinkles, and a general aging appearance.

Sculptra® Aesthetic is an injectable product that restores and corrects shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies.


Sculptra products provide a gradual and significant increase in skin thickness, improving the appearance of folds and sunken areas. Sculptra's main component is an alpha hydroxy acid called poly-L-lactic acid, or PLLA. It is safe, synthetic, biocompatible, biodegradable, long lasting and no pre testing is required. PLLA has been used for more than 20 years in many surgical products, including dissolvable sutures.

Sculptra treatments are office-based procedures. At The Plastic Surgery Center on Woodside, Dr. Papalian offers a combination of topical anesthetics and nerve blocks when needed to ensure your treatment is most comfortable. Sculptra's effects are not immediate. Improvement in skin volume occurs gradually, and therefore proper planning is critical to a successful treatment course. More than one treatment may be necessary to achieve the desired results. Patients with more severe lipoatrophy generally need additional injections. The results of Sculptra vary from patient to patient, however in a clinical study, the effects were shown to last for up to two years after the first treatment session in most patients.

There is little to no downtime after a Sculptra treatment. Most patients return to their normal activities immediately. Swelling and bruising however, can occur after your treatment and generally resolve within a few days, so proper precaution and planning is recommended. Strict avoidance of blood thinning products, such as aspirin, should be followed for 10 days before your treatment. Following your treatment, it will be important to massage the treated area to ensure that the material is evenly distributed beneath the skin. Dr. Papalian will guide your through your treatment course, every step of the way. If, together with Dr. Papalian, a second or third treatment is decided upon, the follow-up procedure is recommended at approximately six-week intervals in order to obtain the desired results. As with all fillers, but importantly with Sculptra and Sculptra Aesthetic, having a consultation with Dr. Papalian to discuss all your treatment options is critical to a successful outcome.

Juvéderm® Ultra Injectable Gel in Palo Alto

As we age, the natural volume of youthful skin begins to diminish and wrinkles and folds form. Hyaluronic acid — a naturally occurring substance in your skin which fills the space between collagen and elastin fibers of the skin, attracts and binds water to help add volume and hydration, giving the skin smoothness and volume. The ability of the body to manufacture its own hyaluronic acid diminishes over time, resulting in the loss of skin volume. While this is a continuous process starting in the early 20s, particularly for woman, hormonal loss during the aging process magnifies the skin changes.

Juvéderm Ultra is a smooth consistency gel made of hyaluronic acid. Described as one of the “next generation” of facial fillers, Juvéderm treatments can gently smooth wrinkles and folds around the mouth and nose and restore a youthful volume to the face. Juvéderm products are especially effective on smile lines and “parentheses” (nasolabial folds) that run from the bottom of the nose to the sides of the mouth. Juvéderm has been proven to be safe and effective for skin of all types and colors. Juvéderm is a hyaluronic acid dermal filler developed using a proprietary technology that results in a malleable smooth gel that flows easily into the skin, creating a smooth, natural look and feel. Which dermal filler is most appropriate to correct your particular situation is best decided together in consultation with Dr. Papalian. The array of products and techniques available requires a skilled and experienced Plastic Surgeon, discussing which product best fits your needs and actually performing the procedure in order to have the optimal result. You deserve to take advantage of experience.

Juvéderm treatments are office-based procedures that take about 30 minutes. The results however, typically last 6-8 months, but can last up to 1 year. Your results are immediate. Dr. Papalian personally performs your procedure and ensures your comfort by offering the options of topical anesthetics, or nerve blocks if needed. As with all filler and injection techniques, aspirin and blood thinning products should be avoided for 10 days before your procedure.

Juvéderm® Ultra Plus Injectable Gel in Palo Alto

Juvéderm Ultra Plus is in the Juvéderm family of dermal filler products. Juvéderm Ultra Plus is a formulation for volumizing and correcting deeper wrinkles and folds. Juvéderm Ultra Plus uses an advanced cross-linked HYLACROSS technology for the correction of moderate to severe wrinkles or folds in the mid - to deep dermis. As with Juvéderm Ultra, Juvéderm Ultra Plus is a smooth hyaluronic filler injected into facial tissue to smooth wrinkles and folds, especially around the nose and mouth and has a duration typically for 6-8 months but can last for up to 1 year. As with other facial fillers, the results are immediate.

Juvéderm Ultra Plus formulation makes the product ideal for deeper lines and folds. At The Plastic Surgery Center on Woodside, a number of choices and techniques are available to you. The choice of which Juvéderm product or dermal filler best suits your needs is a decision ideally made together with Dr. Papalian, taking advantage of his 20 years of Plastic Surgery experience.


Call 650-364-6060 to schedule a consultation today!