Most surgical procedures, such as chemical peels and laser resurfacing are meant to remove the outer layers of skin, forcing new collagen growth which eventually fills in the wrinkles. The opposite approach is to fill in the wrinkles with an injectable substance such as collagen or fat. This fills in the defects giving the skin a smoother appearance.
The most common filler is bovine collagen. Since there is a risk of allergic reactions, a skin test is required before its use. There are now bioengineered collagen products that are non-allergic and do not require a skin test, as well as synthetic fillers. Another choice is a transplant of your own collagen or even fat removed by a mini-liposuction procedure just before injection.
Usually you will receive a local anesthetic and the collagen product will be injected directly under the surface of the skin. There may be some bruising or swelling in the treated areas.
The collagen injection restores the skins natural collagen and you skin will look younger as it fills out.
Just like your own natural collagen, injected collagen will eventually start to break down and need to be replaced. You might have to...