COLLAGEN
AND
FAT INJECTION
Soft- tissue fillers, most commonly injectable collagen or fat, can fill in lines and creases, temporarily restoring a smoother, more youthful looking appearance. When injected beneath the skin, these fillers plump up creased and sunken areas of he face. They can also add fullness to the lips and cheeks. Injectable fillers may be used alone or in conjunction with a resurfacing procedure such as Laser treatment or a re-contouring procedure such as a facelift.
The most important fact to remember about injectable fillers is that the results are not permanent. Injected material is eventually metabolized by the body. You should not expect the same long lasting results that may be gained from cosmetic surgery.
In some individuals, results may last only a few weeks; in others, the result may be achieved indefinitely. Researchers believe that age, genetic background, skin quality and lifestyle as well as the injected body site may all play a role in the injected material's "staying power". However, the precise reason for the variation of results among patients has yet to be identified.
Injectables are usually administered in a surgeon's office-based facility. If, however, you are being hospitalized for a facelift, neck lift, brow lift, or any other procedure, your injection may be administered in the hospital as well.
Collagen: Because the anesthetic agent lidocaine is mixed in with collagen, additional anesthetic is usually not used. However, if you are especially sensitive to pain, your doctor may use a topical c1eam anesthetic or a freon spray to numb the injected area.
Fat: Both the donor and recipient sites are numbed with local anesthesia. Sedation can be used as well. If you elect to use sedation, be sure to arrange for a ride home after your treatment.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that provides support to various parts of the human body: the skin, the joints, the bones and ligaments. Injectable collagen, patented by the Collagen Corporation under the trade names Zyderm and Zyplast, is derived from purified bovine collagen. The purification process creates a product similar to human collagen. Injectable collagen received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 1981. It is produced in various thicknesses to meet individual patient needs.
Collagen is primarily used to fill wrinkles, lines and scars on the face and sometimes the neck, back and chest.
The procedure: Treatment with collagen can begin after a skin test determines that you're not allergic to the substance. The collagen is injected using a fine needle inserted at several points along the edge of the treatment site. If a local anesthetic has not been used, you may feel some minor stinging or burning as the injections are administered.
Since part of the substance is salt-water that will be absorbed by the body within a few days, your doctor will slightly overfill the area. You may be asked to hold a hand mirror during the procedure to help your doctor decide when you've had enough.
Fat: In the medical world , the fat injection process is known as autologous fat transplation or microlipoinjection. It involves extracting fat cells form the patient's abdomen, thighs, or buttocks or elsewhere and reinjecting them beneath the facial skin. Fat is most often used to fill in "sunken" cheeks or laugh lines between the nose and mouth, to correct skin depressions or indentations, to minimize forehead wrinkles and to enhance the lips.
The procedure: After both the donor sites and recipient sites are cleansed and treated with a local anesthesia, the fat is withdrawn using a syringe with a large-bore needle or a cannula (the same instrument used in liposuction) attached to a suction device. The fat is then prepared and injected into the recipient site with a needle. Sometimes an adhesive bandage is applied over the injection site.
As with collagen, "overfilling" is necessary to allow for fat absorption in the weeks following treatment. When fat is used to fill sunken cheeks or to correct areas of the face other than lines, this over correction of newly injected fat may temporarily make the face appear abnormally puffed or swollen.
Results: The duration of the fat injections varies significantly from patient to patient. Though some patients have reported results lasting a year or more, the majority of patients find that at least half of the injected fullness disappears within 3-6 months. Therefore, repeated injections may be necessary.
If you're like most patients, you'll be satisfied with the results of your injectable treatments. You may be surprised at the pleasing results that can be gained from this procedure.