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Injections for HIV

Looking to Keep Up Appearances After Lipodystrophy?

HIV shouldn’t keep you from looking your best. If you’ve been diagnosed with lipodystrophy after taking medication to combat HIV, don’t lose hope. There are several new treatments designed to restore changes in appearance brought on by HIV treatment, and they may be the key to keeping up appearances. Furthermore, many of these procedures may be covered by insurance. If you’ve experienced too little fat or too much fat in certain areas of the body recently, dermal injections or liposuction may be an effective solution. After all, you deserve to feel confident in your own skin.

How Do Injections for HIV Work?

While you may be aware of dermal injections and their use in combating aging and restoring skin volume, there has also been recent success in helping those diagnosed with HIV to fend off unwanted changes in appearance.

For lipodystrophy (particularly fat loss due to lipoatrophy), safe and effective treatments include:

  • Sculptra Injections – designed to restore facial fullness due to illness or premature aging.
  • Fat transfers – usually taken from the abdomen. Fat can also be frozen for later use if lipodystrophy continues. There is little to no bodily rejection risk because your body has produced this fat to begin with, making it much safer for patients with HIV.

For lipodystrophy (particularly fat gain due to lipodeposition), safe and effective treatments include:

  • Liposuction – fat is actually deposited (extra fat) in areas like the neck or abdomen which is usually treated with suction-assisted liposuction and is commonly performed in the operating room with anesthesia.

These treatments have been proven to be the safest for patients with HIV, with little risk of infections and few, if any, side effects.

Am I a Good Candidate for HIV Injections?

Whether HIV treatment has you losing or gaining fat in certain areas, Longwood’s experienced, qualified team wants to help you.

If you are looking to combat lipodystrophy, dermal injections and fat transfers may be the answer in helping you to retain confidence in your body. In cases of more severe HIV lipodystrophy (specifically Lipodeposition such as Buffalo Hump or Psuedogynecomastia), other options are available, including liposuction.

To find out which option is best for you, consult Longwood’s team of specialists for a more in-depth analysis. We want to help you look your best.

Injections for HIV

FAQ’s

Treatment duration depends largely on the area of the procedure, the procedure selected and the severity of the treatment. For Sculptra, typical treatments can be done in a single office visit, typically 30-60 minutes. Fat transfers and fat injections are slightly more complicated and can take a little longer, typically a few hours with longer recovery time.

Patients undergoing HIV injections report seeing a more youthful-looking and confident face and body, much like they had before lipodystrophy. Patients undergoing more intensive procedures can expect to see a reversal of lipodystrophy’s effects with results lasting for up to and over 1-2 years. To ensure that you achieve the results you want, be sure and communicate with your specialist.

For Sculptra injections, patients can return to their lives almost immediately with few restrictions. Those undergoing a fat injection/transfer or liposuction can expect to have a longer recovery time depending on the intensity of the treatment, with typical downtime lasting a week. Aftercare is important to ensure the desired results– be sure to consult with your specialist for the right post-procedure treatment.

Take the Next Step

If you would like to schedule an in-person consultation, please fill out the form on this page or call (617) 383-6250 and one of our knowledgeable medical staff members at Longwood Plastic Surgery will reach out to you promptly.

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Phone: (617) 383-6250
Fax: (617) 383-6255

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