Collagen Injection

Collagen Injection Wrinkle Fillers

Wrinkles are actually the shadow, not the wrinkle itself. Light casts shadows into them, making them visible. Wrinkles are visible because they are lower or deeper than surrounding skin. If wrinkles can be brought to the same level as surrounding skin, their visibility will diminish because the accompanying shadows will no longer exist. This can be accomplished by either lowering the surrounding skin or raising the skin within each wrinkle. Wrinkle fillers such as collagen, work by aiming to raise the skin within the wrinkle and diminishing the shadow.

Collagen injections are used in treating fine lines and wrinkles, as well as shallow scars. Most often, collagen injections treat areas around the mouth, like laugh lines and deep nasolabial creases.

Once patients have verified that they can safely receive collagen injections, they can plan with the physician for the location and extent of the collagen injections. Patients must refrain from taking certain medicines and supplements prior to having their collagen injections to reduce the risks of bleeding and bruising. Local anesthetic mixed with collagen allows collagen injections to be administered without need for sedation or general anesthetic. Patients who receive collagen injections report little discomfort. Collagen injections usually take only a few minutes, with results lasting up to six months.

The Procedure

Using fine needles, your plastic surgeon inject fillers into your skin under each wrinkle. The filler pushes the depressed wrinkle outward and makes it less visible. This procedure presents temporary discomfort with the needle sting. Once the injection is complete, there is no discomfort. Because the procedures are non- invasive, you may apply make-up immediately and return to your usual activities.

Collagen Options

Bovine Collagen is extracted from cow skin. The collagen is then purified, sterilized and processed into liquid form for injection under the skin.
Autologen injection is collagen from your own skin, harvested during a previous operation and processed into liquid form for injection under the skin.
Isolagen injection is collagen from your own skin, cloned in a laboratory and processed into liquid form.
Dermalogen is collagen from human cadaver skin that has been sterilized, purified, and processed into liquid form.

Bovine Collagen

Bovine collagen injections could last 6-12 weeks. Because of transient effect there are possible allergic reactions and potential connective tissue disorders. Doctors have turned to other using other alternatives that are safer and have less side-effect.

Autologen

When you have a tummy tuck, face lift, breast lift, or other operations in which skin is removed, your skin may be sent to a commercial laboratory. At the laboratory, the collagen will be extracted, sterilized and prepared for re-injection. The amount of collagen yielded depends on the amount of skin removed. Expect to obtain enough from tummy tuck skin to fill several facial wrinkles three to five times. A total of 2-4 injections may be performed at one to three month intervals. Your processed liquid collagen can be stored for five years if you do not need it all at once.

Although Autologen injections appear to last longer than bovine collagen injections, duration is variable. Some doctors may claim that the effect is permanent. If your doctor claims this, be skeptical. The permanent effect has not been proven.

Isolagen

Isolagen is made of cloned collagen-making cells that are derived from your own skin. In order to clone the collagen a doctor must first remove a piece of skin the size of a pencil eraser, from behind your ear. The extracted skin is then sent to an Isolagen lab for cloning. Within a few weeks, the lab will send your Isolagen to your surgeon. A minimum of three injections is recommended at two- week intervals. The first injection will improve your wrinkles by about 15%, the second injection by 35%, and the third injection by 70%.

Because live cells are injected, improvement may continue for several months after the last injection. Isolagen, unlike bovine collagen, theoretically does not need maintenance injections. Presumably, the benefit gained will eventually dissipate, and you will need another series of injections. The time between your injections is variable and could range from a few months, to years.

Dermalogen

Dermalogen is obtained from deceased human donors. It may last longer than bovine collagen and minimizes the problems of allergic reactions and connective tissue disorders.

One of the benefits to Dermalogen is that it doesn't require removal of skin from your body. Also, unlike Isolagen or Autologen, it does not require a waiting period for its preparation.

Transmission of infection from the human donor is a theoretical risk, but because Dermalogen is sterilized and processed, transmission of infection has not occurred.

Two or three injections are recommended at one to two month intervals to achieve maximal benefit. Maintenance injections are supposedly not needed, although the benefit is expected to dissipate over months or years, at which time a new series of injections will be needed.

Doctors can use collagen injections to supplement the body's natural collagen supply, which decreases over time. Using a series of collagen injections, doctors can raise the treated area, smoothing wrinkles and creases. Although many patients request collagen injections to treat areas of the face, there are a variety of other popular uses for collagen injections, including softening scar tissue and creating fuller lips. Individuals who are interested in receiving collagen injections consult with a physician to make sure they are qualified—due to the ingredients in collagen injections, people who are allergic to dietary beef or lidocaine, or who have had reactions to collagen injections should not receive injectable collagen. A skin patch test is often performed prior to any collagen injections to check for allergic reactions.