DENVER -- Is the aging process causing your cheeks to sink in? There is a new material that is helping HIV patients look better and might fill in and fatten up others' cheeks as well.

Frank Siebert's cheeks started to sink several years ago -- a side effect from the medications he takes to treat HIV. So he decided to try a new product called Sculptra.

"Sculptra, in generic terms, is a filling material," said Dr. John A. Grossman.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Sculptra for people like Siebert who have HIV and signs of facial fat loss. But some local doctors are using it to improve the signs of aging.

"FDA approvals, while it's for a specific treatment, we can use materials in an off-label fashion if we believe they are of benefit," said Grossman.

Scultpra is injected directly below the surface of the skin and laid down in a crisscross fashion.

It's a process that can be painful but results can last up to two years. Sculptra is different than other fillers because it creates new tissue, rather than breaking down over time, doctors say.

"You put the material in and then your body adds to it. That's a very unique kind of material," Grossman said.

"I can actually feel the pieces as they've been growing and building up in there," Siebert said.

For Siebert, the results are not only cosmetic.

"I didn't realize I was having a self-esteem problem until I went through the process," Siebert said. "I feel a lot better, a lot better about myself ... I had thought it would never happen, that I would never be able to do anything about my sunken cheeks."

Sculptra costs $1,200 per treatment. People usually need three to six treatments and because it's purely aesthetic, it is not covered by insurance.

The most common side effects are bruising and swelling at the injection site.

If you would like to learn more about the product and the procedure go to Sculptra.com or FacialAestheticsinc.com or call Facial Aesthetics at (303) 377-2868.