Collagen is an important element in keeping our skin looking good and youthful but as time passes and age catches up, it is natural for our regeneration system to slow down. From metabolism rate, recovery rate and of course collagen reproduction rate will be affected. Some people might experience it earlier than others, it may be the lack certain vitamin or our food intake habits. As for myself, I have never thought that I will be experiencing the lack of collagen this soon and it did not cross my mind that I am actually experiencing it.
I did not notice it until a few months ago. It was not self realisation, it was through friends and family questioning me if I have lost weight and commenting that my cheeks have sunken in quite a bit. Even so, I did not think that it was lack of collagen that caused those cheeks to sink in and certainly I did not lose any weight.
Perhaps I was just a little stress about work and maybe my worsening insomnia plays a part. And on top of that, my face has always been a little flat and lacks definition due to it's shape. My job requires me to be in front of the camera frequently, I came to realised that not only my cheeks have sunken in but my smile lines became more prominent.
I went through my photos that was taken 2-3years back, the fact that my face lacks definition did not change, indeed my cheeks have sunken in. I wanted to do something about it, so I went to read up about related articles and reviews. I bought collagen drinks and drank it diligently for a couple of months but there weren't any changes.
On a random catch up with a friend, we talked about the same issue we are experiencing and she introduced me to a procedure that she tried out at Cambridge Medical Group called Sculptra, where a collagen stimulating medicine is use to trigger the body to produce its own collagen NATURALLY.
It sounded really good to me and I was excited but I cringe and held back when I heard that the medicine will be injected. It took me quite some time to go ahead with this decision as I didn't like the idea of having needles on my face, not even my body. Also I did not understand the difference between Sculptra and fillers. I was then advise to drop by for a consultation to understand more before making a decision. The doctor explained what Sculptra is to me in detail and in layman's term.
It is commonly known as the Liquid Facelift, Sculptra can correct shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds that appear with aging, by replacing lost collagen using the body's very own stimulation process. The results will depend on how well your body receive and react to the medicine. Unlike fillers where results will be immediate, Sculptra takes time and you will need to follow a massage routine everyday for at least a week. The massaging will aid in the final results.
The photos above are taken at the doctor's clinic during consultation and on the day I did Sculptra.
I get "jelly" when I see needles so I didn't manage to take any photos during the treatment. My eyes were kept close the entire time >_ <
I've had the numbing cream on for about an hour, I really could not imagine what would it be like without it! Although I could still feel the needle but I did not feel the pain, Thank God!
The whole process was quick and it merely took 30 minutes (numbing time not included). To be honest, I could not see the difference right away and even after a week, I did not notice any differences. I wondered what went wrong, have I massage my face correctly? Perhaps my body has no reaction to the medicine? No one, not even my family has noticed it but I did receive comments that I look more "alive".
After two weeks, I decided to take some photos for comparison and to my surprise, there is actually a difference! (photo above, before and after Sculptra) My cheeks are less sunken and my smile lines are not that visible!
The results of Sculptra are natural and gradual so if you are considering Sculptra, do not panic when you don't see immediate results. It's something that is long lasting and able to make your skin looks fuller, more youthful with less pronounced lines, creases, wrinkles and folds. According to Doctor Lee, Sculptra usually last around 2 years which I feel is a better option than fillers which last for approximately 6 months.
There are many Aesthetics treatments out there right now but it is important to know and understand your face structure before making any decision on treatments. I find that having a consultation with the doctor is important and it will improve your understanding on the available treatments.
That said I am thankful for the existence of Sculptra and I'm happy to have experience the natural results of it. On a side note, I do feel that the selection of food that you take in is important in maintaining youthful skin as well and drinking lots of water too!
For more information on Sculptra, you may click on this link or refer to the contact information below. :)
CAMBRIDGE MEDICAL GROUP
391B Orchard Road, #08-05A1,
Tower B, Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238874
Tel: 6733 0777
SMS/Whatsapp: 9155 8869