Many things within the field of plastic surgery are changing. One of the biggest changes is our understanding of what causes aging. First, we thought the process was mostly limited to skin and, therefore, most of the procedures were skin rearrangement procedures and tightening. Now, we know that aging actually involves all layers of the soft tissue within the face.

Regarding collagen injection, what we are mostly concerned about, in terms of facial aging, is fat loss and fat descent as we get older. Where once we believed that all wrinkles were caused from skin stretching. Now, we know that many wrinkles as well as the general appearance of aging are caused by the volume loss of fat underneath the skin. Just like when you remove the volume (water) of a grape you are left with a wrinkled raisin. By reinjecting volume, i.e. collagen, many wrinkles can be eliminated or at least reduced.

There are many different types of collagen available to the plastic surgeon. Essentially, collagen is purified skin protein obtained from animals and made into an injectable form. While it is possible to have an allergic reaction to these, transmission of all their diseases has not been reported. The results can be very impressive, however, because it is not human collagen the body treats it like a foreign body and overtime reabsorbs it. Many doctors have been using some of the latest collagens available that have been specially treated to delay reabsorbing, still, eventually it will go away.

If it goes away, then why is collagen injection so popular?  The reason is because it has many positive features. These are completely outlined in the benefits section but to describe it briefly, it is quick, almost painless, quite effective, predictable, and relatively inexpensive.

One of the most popular uses of the injectable collagen is lip augmentation. It does an excellent job of creating an enlarged, sexy, and more pouty appearance. Best of all, it can be adjusted to the size that the patient wants. Your plastic surgeon will perform the injections and then have the patient look at himself/herself in a mirror to determine if more is necessary. This allows for a lot of fine-tuning.

Other areas were injectable collagen is particularly useful are the wrinkles of the forehead, around the eyes, and around the mouth. It has become a very popular procedure. It is an excellent way to see if you like the results. If you do, it is possible to have something more permanent such as fat injection. These are all possibilities you should discuss with your doctor during a consultation.

Benefits

Many of the benefits of collagen injection have been discussed above. Here is a summary:

• Fills in lines and wrinkles.
• Replaces lost or descended fat to replace the volume once present in youth.
• Creates fuller, sexier lips.
• Eliminates or diminishes wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes, around the mouth, and elsewhere.
• Can help diminish acne scars.
• Can help to fill in depressed scars.
• Is quick and almost painless.
• More of it can be added until the desired results are achieved.
• It is safe.

Are you a good candidate?

Aging is a methodical and progressive process causing us to wrinkle and to lose facial fat. Good candidates are simply people who have suffered the effects of aging and subsequent wrinkling. All wrinkles should not be treated with collagen. These are wrinkles that are caused mostly by muscle activity. These types of wrinkles are more amenable to Botox®.

The typical patient who will benefit from collagen injection is the person with wrinkles within the forehead or around the eyes and mouth. These people have fine wrinkles, laugh lines, and crow's feet. It is also useful for filling in depressed scars as well as acne scars.

Although, most people over the age of 30 can be good candidates, certain people should not have collagen injection. These include pregnant women and people with allergies to collagen.

Possible complications

The most common complication is inadequate augmentation of the desired area or incomplete removal of the wrinkle. This is markedly reduced as your doctor will most likely have you look into a mirror to see if the desired result has been achieved at the time of injection. Other possible complications include too much augmentation, allergic reaction, lumpiness, infection, and skin changes. Your doctor will explain these more in depth during your consultation.

Do's and Dont's prior to surgery

Because of the rather benign nature of collagen injection and safety associated with it, there are not too many things that you need to be concerned with prior to injection. The only thing that is necessary prior to the injection is allergies testing. This is dependent on the type of collagen used and will be discussed during your consultation with a plastic surgeon.

Anesthesia

Usually, no anesthesia is necessary or at the most a numbing cream is used at the injection site. This will numb the skin in about 30 to 40 minutes and will make the procedure almost painless.

After the procedure

The procedure itself will take about half an hour.  

Immediately. Right after the injection you will be given a mirror and asked if the results are acceptable or if more is needed. At this point, that is about it. You can drive yourself home or back to work. People will probably notice that something is different but they may not be able to put their finger on it. It is useful to ice the area down for about half hour after the injection.  This is recommended but not absolutely necessary.

The swelling will go down in about 3 to 4 days but even during this period of time it is not that noticeable.

Recovery time

The nice thing about collagen injection is that there is no down time. You can go back to work immediately and even drive yourself home. Your appearance the first day may be swollen but it is certainly acceptable and should not prevent you from doing your normal things.