HEALTH: WHEN PLUMP IS PRETTY

Women who want fuller cheeks and softer lines between their noses and lips have a new tool at their disposal. Sculptra, a cosmetic "volumizer" approved last year for facial-skin atrophy in HIV patients, stimulates the growth of collagen and reduces sagging and wrinkling. Dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons are using it off-label on patients who don't have HIV. Sculptra's main advantage is that it lasts longer than Restylane, the No. 1 cosmetic "filler": two years, compared with six to nine months. But, unlike collagen shots, Sculptra can't be used to plump lips. Complications are rare but can include allergies and infection. And the results are subtle. "It is not 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'," says Dr. Paula Moynahan of New York's skinklinic. Patients typically need one to three sessions-- with treatments starting at about $500. See sculptra.com for info.

© 2005