Introduction
Collagen is not a foreign material; there has been collagen in human bodies since the day humans were born, but as the process of aging continues, the body stops producing collagen like it used to. This is when collagen injections or fillers are required to replenish the skin's natural collagen. Collagen injections not only smooth out wrinkles but also fill certain skin depressions and reduce the visibility of scars. Apart from all these, collagen injections also make the skin plumper, giving it a smooth appearance. Among all the other available fillers, collagen injections are the best-known.
What Does Injectable Collagen Refer To?
Collagen is not a foreign material for the human body because humans are born with collagen, which is a natural protein. And just like collagen is found in the human body, injectable collagen is also made from cows. This protein is involved in providing support and structure to the skin, bones, ligaments, and other body parts. Collagen-related fillers, generally provided by tissue donors, are used for correcting scars, wrinkles, and facial lines.
How Does the Skin Benefit From Collagen?
Three layers make up the skin; they are the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, which is normally called the hypodermis. The uppermost layer of the skin is known as the epidermis, which is involved in controlling the loss of water from the cells and tissues. The epidermis layer acts as the protective barrier of the skin, and without it, it would take no time for the body to dehydrate. The dermis layer is the second one, which lies just beneath the epidermis layer and contains blood vessels, nerves, and hair follicles and is primarily made up of collagen.
Collagen is the protein that forms a network of fibers, providing a proper framework for the skin and blood vessels to grow. Collagen is the main support structure for the skin because it is the most important and primary component of the dermis. Lastly, the hypodermis layer comprises fat and connective tissue, as well as other larger blood vessels and nerves. It is also responsible for the functioning of the sweat glands and contains collagen cells and fat. The hypodermis layer conserves the body's heat while protecting the inner organs of the body.
What Are the Advantages of Using Collagen Injections?
Collagen injection is a cosmetic procedure that involves injecting collagen under the skin. There are innumerable advantages to using collagen injections. Some are:
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Collagen injections are known for replacing the skin's natural collagen, which is lost in the process of aging. The natural collagen in the body starts breaking down after a certain age, and collagen injections help replace the body's original supply of collagen. Collagen maintains the body's elasticity, which in turn gives the body a youthful appearance. Collagen injections are also known to give patients a very satisfactory result. According to a survey conducted, among 123 people who received collagen injections in the folds between their brows for a year, 90.2 percent of the participants were satisfied with the results.
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Collagen injections also reduce the visibility of the scars. Collagen sources of tissue fillers are perfect for healing hollow scars and making them less visible. The injectable collagen, which is made from cows, is known as bovine collagen and is injected under the skin to stimulate the growth of collagen and elevate the skin depression that the scars cause.
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College injections also make our lips look plumper. Collagen lip fillers are known to plump up the lips, making them look fuller and more volumized. Fillers containing hyaluronic acid have become very popular these days. Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like molecule that is known to keep the skin moisturized. It also plumps up the lips and smooths out the vertical lines around the nasolabial folds, which are above the lips. The basic difference between collagen and hyaluronic acid is that hyaluronic acid is temporary and gets broken down by the body over time.
Where Does Collagen Get Injected Into the Body?
The main advantage that collagen injections provide is smoothing out various areas of the face, but besides this, they are also known to add plumpness to the lips, cheeks, acne scars, and stretch marks. Stretch marks generally happen when the skin stretches quickly due to pregnancy, growth spurts, sudden weight gain or loss, or muscle training. When this happens, the collagen present in our skin starts getting ruptured, and uneven scars are formed on the skin. Injecting collagen into the stretch marks helps the skin heal itself and appear smoother.
What Are The Names Of Some Of The Most Commonly Used Collagen Injections?
Some of the most popular brands of collagen injections are - Bellafill, Cosmoderm, Zyderm, Zyplast, Cosmoplast, and Implant Fibr. There are also some other injectable wrinkle fillers like botulinum toxin, calcium hydroxylapatite, hyaluronic acid, Poly - L - lactic acid, and polymethylmethacrylate beads.
Till When Do Collagen Injections Last?
The results that collagen injections provide last up to five years, while illogic fillers provide results that last around three to six months. According to some studies, collagen injections last longer depending on the number of injections taken. The location where the injection is put, and the material used for the injection also play a big role in this. In the case of wrinkle correction on the face, one has to go for a touch-up several times throughout the year. For scar reduction, only one or two visits a year are enough, depending on how severe the scar is.
Lip fillings or enhancements should be done every three months. One should never forget that the effects of collagen injections are very immediate. In some cases, it may take up to a week or even months for proper results, so one can expect to look more radiant and ten years younger as they walk out of a plastic surgeon's or dermatologist's office after getting these injections.
What Side Effects Do Collagen Injections Have?
The side effects of collagen injections that are most commonly seen are:
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Skin redness.
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Extreme discomfort to the skin, including bleeding, swelling, and bruising.
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Unexpected infection at the injection site.
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Scarring.
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Lumps.
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Skin rashes.
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Wounds, if the injection penetrates deeply into some blood vessels, which is also very rare.
Conclusion
Collagen injections are undoubtedly a long-lasting way of looking younger, but due to the risk of allergies, they are being replaced with other safer materials on the market. So before deciding about getting collagen injections, one must keep in mind to choose a properly certified healthcare professional to perform the procedure. One should also remember to ask for before and after images from other patients, take a collagen test to see if it is suitable for them, and understand that one might need to undergo several injections before seeing the results they desire.
