Collagen injections?

[BrightSpot]

Hi everyone,

I''m a little nervous to post about this, but thought you guys might be able to help. I''m 30 years old & my facial skin seems to be in reasonably good shape, except for my smile lines. I''ve had these lines for a while, but they''re getting worse & are really starting to bother me. The line is much deeper on the left side of my face than the right. It''s gotten so that this is the first thing I see when I look at myself in the mirror.

So, I went to a dermatologist recently & he suggested human collagen injections to fill in the wrinkles. I''m a bit nervous about this as I''ve never even had a facial!

Has anyone done this? Is it painful? How are the results? I understand it typically lasts for 3-6 months. Are there any side effects? I''ve done some internet research on this, but sure would appreciate hearing about any first-hand experiences.

I''m getting married in a month (4/29/06) & am considering doing this beforehand. Is that a bad idea? If not, how soon should I do it before my wedding? My dermatologist suggested I do it around 2 weeks prior to the big day.

Thanks for your help.

 

[MINE!!]

hmmm. Bspot.. what do you need shots for? You are stunning. Smile lines are good lines... Now.. if they were frown lines......

 

[pebbles]

I personally wouldn''t do anything drastic like this before your wedding b/c you never know how it will turn out.

I don''t have any personal experience, but there is a patient that comes into my pharmacy all the time that has had it done several times. She works for a plastic surgeon so she is always having stuff done. She had it done in her forehead too. I thought it looked really nice but b/c of her age, it looks obvious that she had some work done.

 

[moremoremore]

Bright- why don''t you start using alpha hydroxy lotion? I love it.
As for the collagen....I can''t imagine bad things happening..I think that is pretty harmless, no? I bet though that they are not nearly as bad as you think with you being only 30!!!

 

[movie zombie]

admittedly i don''t know anything about but is this something that once you start you have to continue doing?

personally, and this is just me, i can''t imagine doing this.

movie zombie

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks so much for your responses, everyone!

Mine, you''re so sweet...thanks for making me smile.

Actually, people tell me I smile a lot...I guess I do & now I''m paying the price. Heh.

You''re right, better smile lines than frown lines...

Pebbles, I''m definitely concerned about doing something somewhat drastic like this before my wedding. When you say your patient looks like she''s had work done, do you mean that she looks too good for her age? Hopefully if I did this (and it turned out ok), it wouldn''t be too obvious as I''m still relatively young...

MMM, I haven''t tried alpha hydroxy lotion, but I have been using other products which are supposed to diminish the appearance of fine lines. (was on Differin for a while & just started with a new product from my dermatologist--can''t remember the name...) It seems to help a bit, but the lines are still there. One thing that really bugs me is that the wrinkle is much more pronounced on the left side of my face than the right. I wonder why this is...

Do you use/really like the AHA lotions? My skin is still prone to breakouts (I never thought I''d have to worry about wrinkles AND zits!?) so don''t want to use a lotion that''s too oily...

And they might not be as bad as I think...I tend to obsess over things...

The collagen my dermatologist uses is human derived, not bovine collagen, so there should be no risk of side effects.

MZ, to maintain the results, you have to have a new injection every 3-6 months. The thought of having to maintain this is definitely a deterrent for me. (Though I guess I wouldn''t be any worse off than before the first treatment if I stopped doing it...) I don''t like the idea of having to keep doing this, though. It makes me feel old.

 

[belle]

brightspot,
i would second mmm''s aha recommendation. just be careful where you put it. if you put it over any areas of broken skin, the area won''t heal properly since aha is an exfoliant.

best of luck to you!

 

[ivanadiamond]

brightspot,

I got micro-dermabrasion done several times before getting married and it really helped with my smile lines...I would try it before trying to collagen... although I am not opposed to it- just would try alternate methods preferably first.

 

[Erin]

I''m curious about first-hand testimony, too. I''m also thirty and have little wrinkles but instead a ravine between my eyes and above my nose - most likely from furrowing my brow when I''m working. I catch myself all the time - like some people stick out their tongue when thinking hard...I furrow.

Anyway, since it''s like a butt-crack (not noticable to others) Alpha Hydroxy wouldn''t cut it. I never thought I would care about these things. But because I''ve always taken good care of my light complexion, I hate that this one big thing sticks out (to me.)

 

[pebbles]

BrightSpot -- The patient that I know that had the collagen done does look too good for her age. Maybe it''s also because I KNOW she works for a plastic surgeon and KNOW she has had all this work done that in my mind I say "Oh yeah, it''s so obvious".

This woman''s skin looks like a baby''s face -- not a wrinkle or line anywhere. So it''s almost too good to be true. No one has genes like that!

Her eyes are also a little too perky too. The dead giveaway is her neck. That''s where you can really tell someone''s age!

 

[larussel03]

You should prob consult with your Dermatologist/Plastic Surgeon as to what the most effective and least risky option is before your wedding. I'm sure they can tell you which is best to go with since they do and see them all : )

Also, of note, you are always your harshest critic--you may see one side being more creased/deeper than the other, while others do not. Get an objective friend (or mother, in my case she always will "tell it how it is" and I hate to admit that she does know best) to give a true opinion on the lines. If they think it's fine maybe I'd wait and put the money towards the honeymoon!!

 

[larussel03]

Date: 3/29/2006 5:47:50 PM
Author: pebbles
BrightSpot -- The patient that I know that had the collagen done does look too good for her age. Maybe it''s also because I KNOW she works for a plastic surgeon and KNOW she has had all this work done that in my mind I say ''Oh yeah, it''s so obvious''.

This woman''s skin looks like a baby''s face -- not a wrinkle or line anywhere. So it''s almost too good to be true. No one has genes like that!

Her eyes are also a little too perky too. The dead giveaway is her neck. That''s where you can really tell someone''s age!

My mom had a mini facelift, which was just neck, and it takes away that tell all turkey gobbler. I fully intend to have one for my 45th bday as well ; ) She looks fab and it''s been 5 years since she had it done!

 

[movie zombie]

re "to maintain the results, you have to have a new injection every 3-6 months. The thought of having to maintain this is definitely a deterrent for me. (Though I guess I wouldn''t be any worse off than before the first treatment if I stopped doing it...) I don''t like the idea of having to keep doing this, though. It makes me feel old."

the cost and time would definitely be a deterrent for me. however, i would leave nothing to ''guess'' regarding this! as you age your skin will change and if you stop you could actually be worse off than if you just left well enough alone which would put you on that treadmill of having procedures done to try and make up for what went before.

besides, laugh lines are a sign of a life well lived:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ''WOO HOO - what a ride!'' " i don''t know who said it first.

remember: those brides in all the magazines have professional makeup artists at their disposal, professional photographers as well as wonderful airbrush artists to pretty up those pictures.

your honey is marrying you, and i''m guessing you had those laugh lines when he proposed to you. we marry to share our lives together, for better or for worse, and hopefully to grow old together. and growing old together means loving each of those lines and wrinkles as a shared memory of time spent together.

each and everyone of us wants to look our best but our best can be relative to our age and not our past.

i hope you really research this very very thoroughly from many different sources. perhaps as was suggested some microdermabrasion will give your skin what you''re looking for your wedding. it would be a pity to have a procedure done that could be a negative experience just before your wedding.

nibbling strawberries and sipping champagne but not entirely used up or worn out yet, movie zombie

 

[Scintillating]

Question, I thought Restylane was the "newer longer lasting" option to collagen - or is that just for more severe wrinkles? This is what they''re all talking about on Doctor 90210 - just curious, has anyone "used" Restylane/ or know?

Scintillating...

 

[blodthecat]

Bad idea.....I kinda think your future husband wants to marry the face you have now!

 

[BrightSpot]

Thanks so much for all of your kind, thoughtful responses.

belle, thanks for the clarification on the aha use. Have you found that this lotion causes breakouts?

ivana, microdermabrasion was really more along the lines of what I was looking for. It seems much less drastic than collagen in my mind. (Plus, I don''t feel that I''d be signing up for the lifetime maintenance plan if I went this route!) Did it make a big difference in the appearance of your smile lines? Did your skin look really red afterwards? How many treatments did you have & how were they spaced out? Thanks!

Starset, like you, I don''t think anyone else notices my lines as much as I do. I wonder if lighter complexions (like ours) wrinkle more easily...

pebbles, I think my neck is in good shape so far, but if I wind up going down this slippery slope, I''ll have to keep that in mind!

Sweetpea, you''re absolutely right that I''m my worst critic. My FI hasn''t noticed the lines (or at least he says he hasn''t!) Good call--I know just the objective friend I will ask...

MZ, thank you for your thoughtful post. It actually made me tear up a bit.

I absolutely love the idea of sliding into home with the champagne & strawberries (may I have a piece of chocolate too?

) That was a wise comment about looking our best relative to our years, not our past as well. You & blod are right about my FI loving me & my face as-is. I definitely had these lines (and the grey hair--yikes!) when I met him, not to mention when he proposed. He''s always wonderful about telling me how much he loves every part of me & will continue to love every new line, grey hair, etc. as we grow old together. I''m very lucky... (I haven''t told him about this latest obsession of mine--he would definitely discourage me from getting the injections)

The thing is, though, I wouldn''t be doing it for him, but rather for myself. (hey, I''m the one who looks at these lines in the mirror every chance I get...)

Thank you, as well, for pointing out the fact that I might be worse off if I do the treatments, then don''t maintain them than if I don''t do them at all. I''ll definitely find out about this from my dermatologist before considering moving forward with this.

Scintillating, I''ve never heard of Restylane, but I''m extremely new to this whole thing. I''ll ask my dr. at my next appointment.

Well, I''ll probably be smiling in most/all of the wedding photos anyway so maybe the smile lines won''t show?

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 3/31/2006 4:33:11 PM
Author: BrightSpot
Thanks so much for all of your kind, thoughtful responses.

belle, thanks for the clarification on the aha use. Have you found that this lotion causes breakouts?

ivana, microdermabrasion was really more along the lines of what I was looking for. It seems much less drastic than collagen in my mind. (Plus, I don''t feel that I''d be signing up for the lifetime maintenance plan if I went this route!) Did it make a big difference in the appearance of your smile lines? Did your skin look really red afterwards? How many treatments did you have & how were they spaced out? Thanks!

Starset, like you, I don''t think anyone else notices my lines as much as I do. I wonder if lighter complexions (like ours) wrinkle more easily...

pebbles, I think my neck is in good shape so far, but if I wind up going down this slippery slope, I''ll have to keep that in mind!

Sweetpea, you''re absolutely right that I''m my worst critic. My FI hasn''t noticed the lines (or at least he says he hasn''t!) Good call--I know just the objective friend I will ask...

MZ, thank you for your thoughtful post. It actually made me tear up a bit.

I absolutely love the idea of sliding into home with the champagne & strawberries (may I have a piece of chocolate too?

) That was a wise comment about looking our best relative to our years, not our past as well. You & blod are right about my FI loving me & my face as-is. I definitely had these lines (and the grey hair--yikes!) when I met him, not to mention when he proposed. He''s always wonderful about telling me how much he loves every part of me & will continue to love every new line, grey hair, etc. as we grow old together. I''m very lucky... (I haven''t told him about this latest obsession of mine--he would definitely discourage me from getting the injections)

The thing is, though, I wouldn''t be doing it for him, but rather for myself. (hey, I''m the one who looks at these lines in the mirror every chance I get...)

Thank you, as well, for pointing out the fact that I might be worse off if I do the treatments, then don''t maintain them than if I don''t do them at all. I''ll definitely find out about this from my dermatologist before considering moving forward with this.

Scintillating, I''ve never heard of Restylane, but I''m extremely new to this whole thing. I''ll ask my dr. at my next appointment.

Well, I''ll probably be smiling in most/all of the wedding photos anyway so maybe the smile lines won''t show?

you''re doomed, woman! if you keep having a good life and smiling all the time, you''re going to have smile lines no matter what procedure you do! personally, i think there are worse things in life than having smiled a lot and having the lines to prove it........

and, yes, you can have chocolate...especially dark chocolate...with that champagne and strawberries.

movie zombie

 

[belle]

Date: 3/31/2006 4:33:11 PM
Author: BrightSpot

belle, thanks for the clarification on the aha use. Have you found that this lotion causes breakouts?

not at all! i found it helped to prevent them. but if you have any spots before you start using it, you need to be careful until they are healed. this stuff is really strong!
it''s definitely worth a try.

 

[FireGoddess]

BTW girlfriend - looking at your pics in the other thread - you are on crack - you don''t need collagen injections! You [ourselves] are more hypercritical of yourself than others are. You look stunning - nothing else. I tried to look for your laugh lines - couldn''t find any.

 

[movie zombie]

i bet the $$$ saved on a collagen procedure could be used for a new sparkley!

movie zombie

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 3/31/2006 8:17:17 PM
Author: movie zombie
i bet the $$$ saved on a collagen procedure could be used for a new sparkley!

movie zombie

MZ, I knew I liked you. Now THAT''s what I''m talkin'' ''bout!

 

[moon river]

Date: 3/31/2006 8:17:17 PM
Author: movie zombie
i bet the $$$ saved on a collagen procedure could be used for a new sparkley!

movie zombie

Great advice MZ

 

[ivanadiamond]

ivana, microdermabrasion was really more along the lines of what I was looking for. It seems much less drastic than collagen in my mind. (Plus, I don''t feel that I''d be signing up for the lifetime maintenance plan if I went this route!) Did it make a big difference in the appearance of your smile lines? Did your skin look really red afterwards? How many treatments did you have & how were they spaced out? Thanks!


My skin didn''t look red afterwards, a little raw perhaps, but it went away by the same day (the micro-dermabrasion is kinda like sand blasting your face with a little vacuum thingie). I would recommend doing it at least 2-3 times for great results. Space them out at 2-4 weeks between eachother and do the last one a week before your big day. It really made my skin shine and radiate, helped minimize my lines and it took off all the dead skin layers from the surface.

My MIL did it too and she has a lot of wonderful wrinkles (

). she is a beautiful lady inside and out, but I swear she looked 10 years younger after she did it. I couldn''t believe what a difference it made on her.

 

[BrightSpot]

Hi all,

Thanks for making me smile (er...giving me wrinkles?!

)

MZ, you have such a wonderful perspective on life. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Hmm...a new sparkly & dark chocolate--what could be better than that?

belle, that''s good news that the AHA actually helps prevent breakouts. I might have to wait to try it, though. My dermatologist has me on a new cream & I''ve been having a hard time trying to balance the driness with the oilness. It might be a bad idea to throw another product into the mix at this point. Maybe after the wedding?

ivana, thanks for the details on the microdermabrasion. I guess I don''t have time at this point to get 2-3 treatments before the wedding. I might get one, or I might just exfoliate at home & call it a day.

FG, thanks for the sweet compliement. We are definitely hardest on ourselves. Maybe I should hold off on the collagen for a while. It would definitely cut into my crack budget...