What is Collagen?

Collagen is a natural protein that provides structural support. It is found throughout the body – in skin, muscle. Tendon and bone. Fibers of collagen are woven together like threads in fabric, to form a framework into which new cells can grow. In the skin, collagen provides texture, stability and shape.

The collagen in human skin is very similar to the collagen found in certain animals. As a result animal collagen has had many medical applications; for example collagen has been used in sutures for over a century. Heart valves used during surgery are also made of collagen.

Injectable Zyderm® and Zyplast ® Collagen are made of collagen from cow skin that has been purified. This material is so similar to your own collagen that it is accepted by your body and becomes an integral part of your skin.

How was injectable collagen developed?

In the early 1970’s, a group of biochemists and practitioners at Stanford University were researching alternatives to skin grafts. In the course of this work they developed the concept of purifying animal collagen so thoroughly that it could be used to replace lost skin tissue. Further research by Collagen Corporation led to the development of Zyderm® Collagen and Zyplast® Collagen.

How do collagen creams differ from injectable collagen?

Regardless of the ingredients, moisturisers work only on the skins surface as a temporary cap to retain water. Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen, however are medical products that are injected below the skin’s surface where contour problems begin and where collagen replacement can help.

Both Zyderm ® and Zyplast® Collagen lend additional support to the collagen network within the skin. Treatment involves the injection of small amounts of either material directly into areas where the bodies own collagen has been weakened, depressions can be raised to the level of the surrounding skin. Thus lines and scars can be minimised and the texture improved, and the skin has a softer and more even tone.

Do the injections hurt?

You may find that the injections are somewhat uncomfortable, particularly around the nose of the lips. However, both Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen contain a small amount of lignocaine that helps numb the area temporarily, and most people report that the injections are relatively painless.

Does the correction last forever?

No. Top-up injections will be needed to maintain maximum correction. Because both Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen are so similar to your own skin, they will be altered by the same ongoing mechanical forces such as smiling or other muscle activity and biomechanical processes – such as ageing and active acne – that caused the original skin depressions.

How often will I need a top up injection?

Most patients that choose to receive top ups for lines or furrows do so; within 6 to 12 months of the original treatment series. For scars, perhaps these depressions treated with Zyplast ® Collagen, the time between top ups may be longer.

Without top up injections how will my skin look?

Correction will subside gradually until your skin looks like it did before treatment. This is because Zyderm ® and Zyplast ® Collagen become a natural part of your skin and behave similarly. Top up injections will help you maintain your correction and can provide a long-term solution to skin contour problems.

Can injectable collagen take the place of surgical procedures such as face-lifts and dermabrasion?

No. Injectable collagen treatments are not meant for people who have excess facial skin or for those who want major resurfacing of the skin. However, practitioners often use Zyderm® or Zyplast® Collagen in conjunction with surgery to fill in depressions not amenable to surgery. By using injectable collagen following a face-lift or dermabrasion, surgical results can be enhanced.

What is the composition of Zyderm® Collagen implant and Zyplast® collagen ?

Zyderm I® Collagen implant contains purified bovine dermal collagen 35 mg / ml.

Zyderm II® Collagen implant contains purified bovine dermal collagen 65 mg/ml.

Zyplast ® Collagen implant contains purified bovine dermal glutraldehyde cross-linked collagen 35 mg / ml

All three products contain a small quantity of a local anesthetic lignocaine 3 mg / ml.

They are provided in sterile disposable syringes ready for use and are kept refrigerated until needed by your practitioner. Each syringe is used only once.

How does Zyderm® Collagen differ from Zyplast® Collagen Zyderm® Collagen?

It was formulated especially for people with small or superficial contour problems. It can be particularly effective in smoothing delicate frown and smile lines, as well as the fine creases that develop at the corners of the eyes and above and below the lips. It can also help correct certain kinds of shallow scars.

Zyplast Collagen was designed to treat depressions requiring stronger material. It is used for more pronounced contour problems (such as deep scars, lines and furrows) and for areas upon which more force are being exerted (such as the corners of the mouth).

Zyderm® and Zyplast ® Collagen may be used alone or in conjunction with one another. Your practitioner will determine the potential benefits of each and as appropriate course of treatment.

Which skin depressions cannot be helped by either material?

Depressions with sharp edges and narrow “ice pick” acne scars do not usually respond to these materials.

Can anyone be treated with Zyderm® Collagen or Zyplast® Collagen?

No. Your practitioner will enquire about your medical history during the initial consultation in order to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for treatment. If you have a known dietary beef allergy or are undergoing desensitisation to meat products you cannot receive injectable collagen.

Also ineligible for treatment are perplex with a history of an anaphylactic reaction and those who are sensitive to lignocaine (a small amount of this anesthetic is contained in both Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen). Furthermore people who have had a previous allergic reaction to either Zyderm® or Zyplast® Collagen may not be re-treated.

If you have any questions about these medical conditions, be sure to discuss them with your practitioner. You will also be skin tested prior to treatment. Anyone who exhibits sensitivity to the material, as demonstrated by the skin test, cannot proceed with treatment.

What other special precautions are necessary?

Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen should be used with caution in people on immuno-suppressive therapy and in people with a history of allergic reactions. Be sure to tell your practitioner of any allergies you may have, and any medicines or treatment you are currently taking.

If you have an infection or inflammation or cold sores (cysts, pimples, rashes, or hives) at the site to be treated, then your practitioner will postpone treatment until the infection or inflammation is controlled.

Zyplast® Collagen is not recommended for use close to the eyes. Zyderm ® Collagen and Zyplast® Collagen have not been shown to be safe during pregnancy or lactation, or in children

With both Zyderm® and Zyplast® Collagen, you may also notice temporary blushing, slight bruising and tenderness around the treatment sites. Like the puffiness these are normal occurrences and all should subside within a few days. Although the material is generally not visibly distinguishable from the surrounding skin, some patients have reported that they were initially able to feel the outline of the injected collagen. However as the new collagen is incorporated into your own skin, the treatment sight takes on the natural look and feel of healthy skin. Any redness and / or visible swelling that persist for more than a few days may indicate a reaction to the material. Be sure to report this or any other questionable symptoms to your practitioner.

How common are treatment reactions?

For more than 1 million people treated to date, injectable collagen has proven to be very safe. However, a small number of patients (approximately one percent) have developed an allergic reaction after one or more injections. These reactions may consist of prolonged redness, swelling, itching and / or firmness at some or all injection sites. Most have lasted between three and four months, but in some cases have exceeded one year. In rare instances, formation of a scab and sloughing of the tissue at the treatment sight have been noted, which can result in a shallow scar. On rare occasions, abscess formation has occurred at implantation sites. These reactions develop weeks to months following injections, and may result in indurations and / or scab formation. Also, in less than one in 1000 treated patients, systematic complaints consisting of nausea, rash, headache, joint aches or difficulty in breathing have been reported.

Of the one percent of patients who have developed an allergic reaction after treatment, one half had an unreported or unrecognised response to the skin test (with proper monitoring of the skin test, many of these reactions could have been prevented). The remaining one-half of this group have developed allergic reactions despite a response free skin test.

An additional one percent of individuals experience symptoms similar to those of an allergic reaction that may, occur intermittently. Recent research has shown that some of these patients are allergic to bovine collagen.

Are their any other types of reactions I should be aware of?

Yes. There is a possibility that you could experience a reaction related to the injection process itself. However, this does not mean it is necessary to discontinue treatment. For instance, mild bruising or a slight blush could occur at the injection site. If you have previously had facial herpes simplex at the site of the injection, there is a chance that the injection process itself could provoke another herpes simplex eruption. In addition, any injection carries a minimal but potential risk of infection.

It is possible that, during the process of administering injectable collagen, the needle could be accidentally placed into or through a blood vessel. This is unlikely; however if it should happen, it could result in scab or scar formation or a temporary discoloration of the treated area. Also, as with other substances that are injected (particularly local anesthetics and steroids injected into the head and neck area or the extremities), there is a remote possibility of accidental injection of the material into a blood vessel. This could result in blockage of the blood flow and loss of circulation to nearby sites.

There have been infrequent reports of the injected collagen being visible in the skin, in the form of a small raised or white area in the treatment sight, which may persist from a few weeks to several months. Also some areas (such as compressed scars) resist precise placement of the material, resulting in a slight elevation beside the defect.

An understanding of the safety of injectable collagen is based on clinical data from 1978 to the present. Ongoing research will continue to provide such information.

How long has inject able collagen been used?

Injectable collagen was first used to treat patients in 1976. Since then, over 1 million people have been treated with either Zyderm® or Zyplast® Collagen. The procedure is administered routinely by over 4,000 physicians in the USA and in more than 20 other countries