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Advanced Art of Cosmetic Surgery Thomas M. DeWire, Sr., MD, FACS Specializing in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Richmond, Virginia, USA |
Facial Rejuvenation Surgery |
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| Collagen Injections |
| Collagen Injections for soft tissue augmentation: | ||
| Collagen is a natural structural protein complex found in all mammals. The structure of collagen is complex, but very similar in humans and higher animals, including cattle and pigs. The purified sterile Injectable Collagen used in Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is extracted from cow hides (bovine collagen) and packaged in convenient small quantity syringes. The Injectable Collagen matrix is useful as a filler to build up skin depressions associated with wrinkles, and also as a non-permanent soft tissue augmentation material to highlight the lips, etc. Because the structure of this bovine collagen is slightly different from human collagen, skin testing of a small quantity is necessary at least one month prior to formal collagen injection treatment to avoid the small risk of an allergic | reaction. Because the injected Collagen is not exactly the same as native human collagen, the immune system will gradually digest it, preventing permanent incorporation. The Injected Collagen may last for over a year, but in some individuals will only last for several months. An immediate result of lip augmentation with Collagen is displayed below. For lips in particular, Collagen treatment is recommended as a preliminary before considering placement of a permanent augmentation material such as Gore-tex strands, Alloderm, or MicroDroplet Fat Injections. Deeper wrinkles, resistant to Collagen injection, can be more permanently treated with CO2 Laser Resurfacing. (see link below) | |
Photos Before and After:
| Case 1: Before and After views of injection of 1 cc of bovine Collagen into upper and lower lips, the philtral columns (running from lip to nose), and the wrinkles at the corners of the mouth. The redness associated with the injection will resolve by the next morning. Fullness will persist until the collagen is resorbed. |  |
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| Lateral views of the same patient . Note the improved projection and highlighting of the lips after the injection of collagen. |  |
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| ©Copyright 1997-2005 Advanced Art of Cosmetic Surgery: Thomas M. DeWire, Sr, MD, FACS Revised October 29, 2007 04:06:49 PM |