Q:I am one of the HIV-positive people who desperately needs fat injections in my face due to the fat wasting caused by the drugs used for treatment. Can you advise me?

A:

While fat grafting can fill in the defects, it's often not possible for HIV patients, who don't have fat to transfer.

Injections of Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Radiesse, and Sculptra work well and are easily done. Of these choices, Sculptra may work best.

Sculptra is FDA-approved for fat wasting. More recently, it has been used off label as a cosmetic filler. It is a bio-active agent, meaning it can stimulate your body to produce collagen.

You will look great after your first injection. After two to three days, however, it will look as if all the material has disappeared.

That's because your body has absorbed the water the Sculptra was mixed in and now it's up to your body to produce collagen. After three to four weeks, your face will fill in.

This is usually when your next visit will be scheduled. Once you have reached your ''fill,'' your results may last one to two years. The cost for each session runs between $1,250 and $1,600 per session.

Good luck.

Go to MiamiHerald.com/ health to ask Dr. Wolf your question.

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