Where Is My Procedure?
Dr. Innes performs procedures at three locations. We will have confirmed your specific location verbally at your appointment. If you're unsure, text us before you come.
Location 1
Tanner Clinic
Come to the exact same office where you had your consultation. No new directions needed.
Same place as your visit
Location 2
Transcend Total Body Rejuvenation
1649 Antelope Dr., Suite 200
Layton, UT 84041
In Katie's Place, directly across from Holy Cross Hospital on Antelope Drive.
2nd floor — Suite 200
Location 3
Vive Wellness & Aesthetics
836 S. Angel Street, Suite 100
Layton, UT 84041
Corner of Layton Pkwy & Angel St. Enter Central Davis Dental, tell them you're here for Vive, and they'll direct you downstairs.
Basement level — Suite 100
Not sure which location? Text 801-776-7129 and we'll confirm.
What Are Biostimulators?
Most cosmetic injectables — like hyaluronic acid fillers — work by physically adding volume to an area. Biostimulators work differently. Rather than filling space directly, they stimulate your own body to produce new collagen — the structural protein that gives skin its firmness, elasticity, and youthful contour.
The results are more gradual than traditional fillers, but in many ways more natural-looking and longer-lasting. You're not adding a foreign substance that eventually dissolves — you're rebuilding your own tissue.
Used almost exclusively in hyperdilute form by Dr. Innes — the goal is collagen stimulation, not immediate volume. Results build gradually over months.
Carrier metabolized over 12–24 months. New collagen is permanent host tissue.
Provides no immediate volume — entirely collagen stimulation. Results emerge gradually over months. Full effect at 4–6 months after a series.
Carrier metabolized over 12–24 months. Cosmetic results last 2–3 years or longer.
What It Is
Radiesse is made of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel carrier. Although Radiesse can be used as a traditional filler at full concentration, Dr. Innes uses it mostly in hyperdilute form — diluted with saline and lidocaine and injected as a thin, spreadable liquid across larger areas. In this form, the immediate volumetric effect is minimal. The goal is entirely collagen stimulation: triggering your own fibroblasts to lay down new Type I and Type III collagen, elastin, and new microvascular networks throughout the treated tissue.
What It Treats
- Skin laxity and quality in the face, neck, décolleté, and body — improving skin thickness, texture, and firmness from the inside out
- Hand rejuvenation — restores skin quality and reduces the crepey, thin appearance of aging hand skin
- Mild volume loss — a secondary benefit as new collagen accumulates in previously volume-depleted areas
Results Timeline
Immediately After
Mild fullness from the carrier gel and injection fluid. This settles within 1–2 weeks and is not the final result. Do not judge your outcome here.
Months 1–3
Collagen production ramps up. Skin gradually feels firmer and looks more lifted and refreshed.
Months 3–6
Full result visible as new collagen matures. This is what you invested in.
12–24 Months
The CaHA carrier is metabolized and cleared. The filler itself dissolves — but the collagen it triggered remains.
Maintenance
Most patients return every 12–18 months to stay ahead of natural collagen turnover and preserve the elevated baseline.
What It Is
Sculptra is made of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) — a biocompatible synthetic material used in medicine for decades (the same material as dissolvable sutures). Unlike Radiesse, Sculptra provides no immediate volume. Its job is entirely collagen stimulation, creating a mild, controlled inflammatory response that drives sustained new collagen production over several months.
What It Treats
- Global facial volume loss — particularly effective for restoring three-dimensional fullness to the entire face
- Temple hollowing
- Cheek and midface volume
- Jawline and lower face laxity
- Skin quality and laxity — improving overall skin thickness, firmness, and texture
Results Timeline — Read This Carefully
Immediately After
You will look fuller — but this is almost entirely swelling and water from the injection. It will subside over 24–72 hours and you will return to near-baseline. This is normal and expected. Do not be discouraged.
Weeks 2–8
Little visible change. The PLLA particles are working beneath the surface, triggering collagen production. There is nothing to see yet — the process is happening.
Months 2–4
Gradual improvement becomes visible as new collagen accumulates. Results continue to develop between sessions.
Months 4–6
Full result of the treatment series visible. The before/after comparison at this stage is often dramatic.
12–24 Months
The PLLA carrier is metabolized and cleared. The collagen it triggered remains and continues to age as your own tissue.
Years 1–3+
Cosmetic results persist significantly longer than most injectables. Maintenance every 12–24 months sustains the elevated baseline.
Treatment Series
Sculptra requires a series of sessions — typically 3 appointments spaced 4–6 weeks apart. The number of sessions and vials per session depends on your degree of volume loss, fine lines, textural irregularities, and goals. Dr. Innes will recommend a specific protocol at your consultation.
Think of Sculptra as an investment in a long-term result, not a single treatment.
Both Radiesse and Sculptra stimulate your body to build real collagen — Type I and Type III collagen, elastin, and new microvascular networks deposited directly into your own dermis and subdermis. This is not filler. It is your own tissue.
The vehicle — the CaHA gel in Radiesse or the PLLA microparticles in Sculptra — is gradually metabolized and cleared by your immune system. The initial volumetric push it provides fades with it.
The collagen built during treatment does not disappear when the carrier dissolves. It integrates into your native tissue and is permanent in the same way all of your collagen is permanent — which means it stays, but continues to age.
Why Results Aren't Truly Forever
Even though you built real collagen, your body's collagenases (MMPs — matrix metalloproteinases) continue to break down dermal collagen at a natural rate of roughly 1% per year after age 20, accelerated by UV exposure, stress, and lifestyle factors. The collagen you built does not escape this process. Skin laxity is also driven by fat pad shifting and shrinking, bone resorption, and ongoing environmental stressors — and those processes continue regardless of treatment.
The "Shifted Baseline" Concept
After treatment, you are not simply borrowing time before reverting to where you started. Your skin's structural starting point is permanently elevated — you continue aging forward from a higher baseline of collagen density and skin quality. You will eventually lose those gains to natural aging, but you are aging from a better position than you would have been without treatment.
This is why periodic maintenance — typically 1 vial or syringe every 12–24 months — is used not to "redo" the treatment, but to stay ahead of natural collagen turnover and preserve the elevated baseline.
Before Your Appointment
The following applies to both Radiesse and Sculptra.
Reduce Bruising & Swelling Risk — Optional but Helpful
For 3–5 days before your appointment:
- Avoid ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin (unless prescribed — do not stop a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor)
- Avoid fish oil, vitamin E, and flaxseed oil supplements
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours before
- Arnica supplements or gel before and after can help minimize bruising
Arrive with Clean Skin
- No makeup, moisturizer, or sunscreen on the treatment areas on the day of your appointment
No Recent Facial Treatments
- Avoid laser treatments, chemical peels, microneedling, or other injectables within 2 weeks before your appointment, unless Dr. Innes is aware and has given the green light
Stay Well Hydrated
- Drink plenty of water in the days before. Hydrated tissue responds better to treatment and tends to swell less.
What to Expect During the Appointment
- Injections take 20–60 minutes depending on the product and treatment areas
- Both products are typically mixed with lidocaine, making the procedure more comfortable
- Some pressure, mild stinging, and a feeling of fullness are normal during injection
- You may notice significant swelling or fullness immediately after — this settles over the following days
After Your Appointment
👆
The 5-5-5 Massage Rule — Both Products
This is the most important aftercare instruction. Massaging the treated areas helps distribute the particles evenly and significantly reduces the risk of nodule formation. For the 5 days following each treatment:
Use the pads of your fingers and apply firm, circular pressure across all treated areas. This is not optional — consistent massage significantly affects your outcome and reduces complication risk.
General Aftercare — Both Products
✓ Do These
- Ice packs (wrapped in cloth) for the first 24 hours
- Sleep with head slightly elevated tonight
- Stay well hydrated
- Apply arnica gel to bruised areas
- Resume normal skincare once redness settles — usually 24–48 hours
✕ Avoid 24–48 Hours
- Strenuous exercise
- Alcohol
- Saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga, very hot showers
- Rubbing or firm pressure on treated areas*
- Makeup over injection sites until closed
⚠ Avoid for 2 Weeks
- Laser treatments, chemical peels, microneedling, or ultrasound over injected areas
- Dental procedures involving significant facial manipulation — let your dentist know you had injections
Understanding the Swelling
Radiesse (Hyperdilute)
Mild swelling peaks in the first 24–48 hours and resolves within 1–2 weeks. Do not expect dramatic immediate volume — you are investing in the collagen that builds over the following months.
Sculptra
Significant swelling in the first 1–3 days, then a return to near-baseline as the water from the injection is absorbed. Do not interpret this as the treatment not working. The real result develops gradually over the following months. This is expected and normal.
Bruising is common at injection sites and typically resolves within 1–2 weeks. Arnica gel and concealer can help in the meantime.
Things You May Notice
✓ Normal — Expected
- Swelling, redness, and bruising at injection sites — can be significant in the first 48 hours
- Tenderness or firmness in treated areas for 1–2 weeks
- Small bumps or lumps under the skin in the first few weeks — usually resolve with massage
- With Sculptra: looking better immediately after, then returning to near-baseline as swelling resolves
- Asymmetry in the first 1–2 weeks while swelling is uneven — usually self-corrects
! Contact Us If You Notice
- Persistent hard lumps or nodules not resolving with massage after 4+ weeks
- Significant asymmetry persisting beyond 4 weeks
- Skin appearing pale, white, or mottled immediately after injection — contact us right away
- Signs of infection: increasing redness, warmth, pus, or fever
- Pain worsening after the first 48 hours rather than improving
- Any concern that doesn't feel right — when in doubt, text us
A Note on Realistic Expectations
- Results are gradual. The before/after comparison at 6 months is often dramatic — but the week-by-week change is subtle enough that many patients barely notice it happening. The collagen your skin produces over the following months is the result.
- Results vary. Age, skin quality, lifestyle, UV history, and individual biology all affect how much collagen you produce and how long gains persist. Dr. Innes will give you an honest assessment of what's realistic for you specifically.
- These are not permanent in the cosmetic sense — but the collagen you build is real. You are aging forward from a permanently elevated baseline. Maintenance sessions preserve and build on your gains.
When to Contact Us
💬 Routine Questions & Scheduling
Text 801-776-7129 during business hours.
⚠ After-Hours Concerns
Text Dr. Innes directly: 801-414-8443
🚨 Seek Emergency Care Immediately If You Experience:
- Sudden vision changes or loss of vision after a facial injection — call 911 immediately
- Skin that turns white or severely discolored immediately after injection — vascular emergency; contact us immediately
- Difficulty breathing (very rare allergic reaction)