Collagen injections are commonly used for cosmetic purposes, as they can help get rid of frown lines, ‘crows feet’ and the small lines that show up when you smile. Once very popular, their popularity is decreasing now because of the introduction of soft tissue fillers. These soft fillers, such as Restylane cream, or juvederm actually last longer than collagen injections, hence their rising popularity.
Collagen is a protein. It is found in connective tissue such as is found in the skin, bone, cartilage and blood vessels. In fact, collagen makes up about eighty percent of the skin. The main job of collagen is to keep the skin looking supple and smooth, however with age collagen tends to begin breaking down. When collagen breaks down, such as when a person ages, wrinkles start to appear, and the skin looses its elasticity and begins to droop in places. That is where the idea of replenishing the collagen naturally found in skin via injections came from.
There are a variety of collagen fillers currently available for use. Some of these fillers, such as CosmoDerm and Cosmoplast actually contain human collagen. Bovine collagen, that is made from cows, is also fairly common. There is also an artificial collagen filler, ArteFill, that is actually a gel filler that is suspended in purified bovine collagen.
Not everyone is suited for collagen injections. Anyone who is either pregnant or nursing should not have them. Nor should anyone who is allergic to cow products have them. There are also contraindications for people suffering from specific medical conditions such as autoimmune diseases. Before being injected with Bovine collagen, the patient should have a skin test first.
These injections are usually performed by doctors, at their clinic. There is no real need for anesthetic to be administered, although usually the filler does contain some local anesthetic. It is injected into skin depressions using a tiny needle. Normally it requires more than one injection to smooth out a wrinkle, especially a deep one.
The procedure itself is fairly simple. The doctor will mark where the injections are to be made, and once he has assessed the area he will then decide precisely how much collagen needs to be injected. When he is ready to begin he will cleanse the area with an antiseptic, and then insert the needle under the skin and give the injections.