• What is collagen?
• How was injectable collagen developed?
• How long has injectable collagen been used?
• How do Zyderm Collagen and Zyplast Collagen work?
• Which skin depressions cannot be helped by either material?
• Can injectable collagen take the place of surgical procedures such as face-lifts and dermabrasion?
• How do collagen creams differ from injectable collagen?
• Can anyone be treated with Zyderm Collagen or Zyplast Collagen?
• What is involved in injectable collagen treatment?
• How does the skin test work?
• When does treatment start?
• Do the injections hurt?
• How will my skin look and feel immediately after treatment?
• How common are treatment reactions?
• Are there any other types of reactions I should be aware of?
• Does the correction last forever?
• How often will I need a touch- up injection?
• Without touch-up injections, how will my skin look?

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, resiliency, 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, animal 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 highly 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 1970s, a group of biochemists and physicians 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 long has injectable collagen been used?
Injectable collagen was first used to treat patients in 1976. Since then, over 350,000 people have been treated with either Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen. The procedure is administered routinely by over 3,500 physicians nationally, and in more than 20 other countries.

How do Zyderm Collagen and Zyplast Collagen work?
Both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen lend additional support to the collagen network within the skin. When a physician injects small amounts of either material directly into areas where the body's own collagen has been weakened, depression can be raised to the level of the surrounding skin. Thus, lines and scars can be minimized, texture is improved, and the skin has a softer and more even tone.

How does Zyderm Collagen differ from Zyplast Collagen?
Zyderm Collagen 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 a stronger material. It is used for more pronounced contour problems (such as deeper scars, lines,  and furrows) and for areas upon which more force is being exerted (such as the corners of the mouth).

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

Which skin depressions cannot be helped by either material?
Depression with sharp edges and narrow "ice pick" acne scars do not usually respond to these materials.

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  a major resurfacing of the skin. However, doctors 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.

How do collagen creams differ from injectable collagen?
Regardless of the ingredients, moisturizers work only on the skin's surface as a temporary cap to help 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.

Can anyone be treated with Zyderm Collagen or Zyplast Collagen?
No. Your doctor will inquire about your medical history in order to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for treatment. If you have a personal history of autoimmune diseases, you cannot receive injectable collagen: These would include (but are not limited to) rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma (including CREST syndrome), systemic or discoid lupus erethematosus, or polymyositis.

Also ineligible for treatment are people with a history of anaphylactic reaction and those who are sensitive to lidocaine (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 retreated. Neither Zyderm nor Zyplast Collagen should be used for breast augmentation, and neither material should be injected into bone, tendon, ligament or muscle.

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

What is involved in injectable collagen treatment?
There are three steps: a skin test, the treatment series, and periodic touch ups.

How does the skin test work?
To determine if you are eligible for treatment with either Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen, you doctor will inject a small amount of collagen into your forearm, just below the skin's surface. Both you and your doctor should watch the test site closely for four weeks for any signs of sensitivity to the material such as redness, swelling, or itching. Pay special attention to your test site during the first three days since the majority of test reactions occur during this period. At the first sign of any of these problems, contact your doctor.

Only about three out of every 100 tested patients show a sensitivity to the test and cannot be treated with injectable collagen; 97 percent of all tested patients can be treated.

When does treatment start?
Treatment can begin after the four week test observation period if you are not sensitive to the skin test. Treatment involves a series of office visits- usually two weeks apart. Most patients see considerable improvement in one to three treatment sessions depending on the size, shape and texture of the area undergoing treatment.

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

How will my skin look and feel immediately after treatment?
Most patients feel comfortable in resuming their normal activities following treatment. Temporary puffiness of the treated areas, however, should be expected, especially with Zyderm Collagen.

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 you own skin, the treatment site takes on the natural look and feel of healthy skin. any redness and/or visible swelling that persists 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 doctor.

How common are treatment reactions?
For the more than 350,000 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 scar formation. Also, in less than one in 1,000 treated patients, systemic 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 unrecognized 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 reaction despite a response free skin test.

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

If you observe any symptoms such as prolonged redness and/or swelling , please inform your physician. He or she will determine if you should discontinue treatment; no further injectable collagen can be administered to anyone who has experienced an allergic reaction to the material.

Are there any other types of reactions I should be aware of?
Yes. There is 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 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.

Such an incident has occurred only once out of an estimated total of three million injections of Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen to date, resulting in partial loss of vision in one eye.

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 site, 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.

And 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.

Does the correction last forever?
No. Touch up injection will be needed  to maintain maximum correction. Because both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen are so similar to you own skin, they will be altered by the same ongoing mechanical forces such as smiling or other muscle activity and biochemical processes - such as aging and active acne - that caused the original skin depressions.

How often will I need a touch- up injection?
Most patients who choose to receive touch - ups for lines or furrows do so within 3 to 12 months of the original treatment series. For scars, and perhaps those depression treated with Zyplast Collagen, the time between touch-ups may be longer. But keep in mind that the amount of collagen used to restore full correction will be considerably less than that used in the initial treatment series.

Without touch-up injections, how will my skin look?
Correction will subside gradually until you skin looks like it did before treatment. This is because Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen become a natural part of your skin and behave similarly.

Touch up injection will help you maintain your correction and can provide a  long-term solution to skin contour problems.