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Collagen Procedures - Chicago Cosmetic Surgery
Considering collagen?
Collagen treatments when performed by qualified Houston plastic surgeons is a safe and effective treatment. As we age,
our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure and years of facial muscle movement, such as smiling,
chewing and squinting.
Search Chicago plastic surgeons performing collagen procedures.
The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful and plumped up begin to break down, often leaving laugh lines,
smile lines, crow's feet or facial creases over the areas where this muscle movement occurs. .
Soft-tissue fillers, most commonly injectable collagen or fat, can help fill in these 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 the 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 a laser treatment, or a recontouring procedure, such as a facelift.
If you're considering a facial-rejuvenation treatment with collagen or fat, this article will give you a basic
understanding of the procedure - when injectables can help, how the procedure is performed, and what results you can
expect. It may not answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask your
Houston plastic surgeon if there is anything about the procedure you don't understand
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that provides support to various parts of the human body: the skin, the joints,
the bones and the 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 in1981. It is produced in various thicknesses
to meet individual patient needs.
Collagen is used primarily to fill wrinkles, lines and scars on the face and sometimes the neck, back and chest.
Collagen procedures in Chicago
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 anesthesia
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.
After your Chicago collagen treatment
Immediately following treatment, you may notice some minor discomfort, stinging or throbbing in the injected area.
Occasionally some bruising or swelling will occur, but it is usually minor. Any redness that appears in the injected
site usually disappears within 24 hours. However, in some individuals, particularly fair-skinned patients, this redness
may persist for a week or more. Tiny scabs may also form over the needle-stick areas; these generally heal quickly.
No bandaging is needed and you are free to eat, drink, and wear makeup with sunblock protection shortly thereafter.
There may be some temporary swelling and redness in the treated area which should dissipate within a few days. If these
symptoms persist, contact your Chicago plastic surgeon.
Possible risks of Collagen treatment in Chicago
When injectables are administered by a qualified Houston plastic surgeon, complications are infrequent and usually minor
in nature. Still, individuals vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions and their healing abilities. The
outcome of treatment with injectables is never completely predictable.
Collagen: Allergic reaction is the primary risk of collagen. To help determine if you are allergic to the substance,
your surgeon will perform an allergy skin test about a month before the procedure. After the test is performed, the test
site should be watched carefully for three or four weeks, or as long as your surgeon advises. Any sign of redness,
itching, swelling or other occurrences at the test site should be reported to your Chicago cosmetic surgeon.
What to expect from a Collagen procedure in Chicago
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, the results may last only a few weeks; in others, the results may be maintained 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.
If you've had short-lived results from fat injections, you shouldn't necessarily assume that collagen injections will
work better for you. And, conversely, if you've had disappointing results from collagen, don't assume that injected fat
is the answer. Although it's true that some individuals' bodies are more receptive to one substance than the other,
others may find that neither substance produces long-lasting results. Sometimes one substance may work better than
the other for a specific problem
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