Sculptra is FDA-approved in the United States and has been used worldwide since 1999. Sculptra is made of a synthetic material called poly-L-lactic acid that is absorbed naturally by the body and has been used for years in dissolvable stitches.
Since Sculptra does not contain any human or animal components, no allergy testing is needed prior to treatments.
Side effects reported include injection site pain, redness, bruising, tenderness, itching and lumps, bleeding, and swelling. Small bumps under the skin can sometimes be noticeable when pressing on the treated area. Larger lumps, with or without inflammation, have also been reported. These side effects generally last, on average, 3 to 17 days.