What causes wrinkles?
The way your skin looks is directly related to the way your skin is supported. Wrinkles form when the natural collagen and hyaluronic acid in your skin diminish during the course of aging. Other factors that cause wrinkles include exposure to the sun, disease, injury, heredity and lifestyle. Collagen provides structure to your skin while hyaluronic acid provides skin volume.

What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant natural protein found in the body and provides structural support to skin, muscle, tendons 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.

What are CosmoDerm^® and CosmoPlast^®?
CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast are collagen dermal (skin) fillers made from human collagen and injected just below the skin's surface to smooth wrinkles, fill in deep furrows and folds, and restore the lip border.

What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are substances that are injected just below the surface of the skin to replenish the collagen layer, filling lines, wrinkles and scars from the inside out. Dermal fillers can temporarily restore a smoother, more youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can also be used to add definition to the lip border. Collagen dermal fillers have been proven safe and effective for more than 20 years.

What is Collagen Replacement Therapy?
Collagen Replacement Therapy is a safe, non-surgical wrinkle correction treatment in which highly purified collagen is injected into the skin to replenish the skin's lost collagen, restoring skin structure.

Is Collagen Replacement Therapy safe?
Yes. Collagen products from INAMED Aesthetics are approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are tested for a variety of contaminants in accordance with strict FDA requirements. The end result of this stringent testing is a safe product, free from detectable viruses or contaminants.

How are collagen treatments different from BOTOX^® Cosmetic (Botulinum Toxin Type A)?
BOTOX^® Cosmetic is a purified protein. When injected intramuscularly, it smoothes the muscles by blocking nerve impulses. For more information, please visit www.botoxcosmetic.com. In contrast, collagen is a dermal filler and is injected below a wrinkle, scar or depression in order to "fill" it in, smoothing the surface of the skin.

Can I get treatment with more than one filler?
Yes. CosmoDerm can be used with other fillers or injectables  for optimal aesthetic results. An emerging trend is to use collagen and hyaluronic acid-based fillers in combination to temporarily replace lost structure and volume, smoothing away unwanted lines and wrinkles. The safety and effectiveness of combination use has not been clinically evaluated however.

What is the difference between Zyderm^® and Zyplast^® and CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast?
CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast are human-based collagen treatments and offer a similar aesthetic result to that of Zyderm and Zyplast with the added convenience of not needing a skin test. Zyderm and Zyplast, introduced in 1981 and 1985 respectively, are made of highly purified bovine (cow) collagen. A skin test is required 28 days before treatment.

Is skin testing required before I can receive CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast?
No. You can receive CosmoDerm or CosmoPlast the same day as your initial consultation or office visit.

Who can inject CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast?
CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast can be injected by a physician, such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon or a qualified health care professional, such as a registered nurse or physician assistant.

How long does the procedure take?
Treatment of collagen injections usually takes less than one hour.

Do I need to take time off from work to recuperate?
Collagen Replacement Therapy is a simple procedure with a quick recovery time. Most patients feel comfortable resuming their normal activities immediately following treatment. You are free to eat, drink, or wear makeup with sunblock shortly after treatment. There may be some temporary swelling and redness in the treated area, which should subside within an hour.

Are collagen injections painful?
Most people report that the injections are relatively painless. To minimize discomfort, a topical or local anesthetic can be applied to the area prior to treatment. Also, CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast contain an anesthetic, lidocaine, which helps to temporarily numb the treatment area.

What areas can be treated with CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast?
The most common areas treated are the smile lines around your nose and mouth, frown lines between the eyes, acne scars, fine lines above the mouth, and the lip border to add definition.

Can I have more than one area treated at the same time?
Yes, more than one area can be injected at the same time.

How frequently will I need to have Collagen Replacement Therapy?
To maintain optimal correction, touch-up injections are usually needed two or three times a year. The amount of collagen used during follow-up treatments is usually less than that used in the initial treatment. Without ongoing treatments, the collagen is gradually absorbed by the body and your face returns to its original contours.

How do I know Collagen Replacement Therapy might be right for me?
If looking your best is important to you, Collagen Replacement Therapy is probably for you. Imagine smoothing out those wrinkles around your mouth, or filling in those annoying tiny lines above your lip. Now you can.

Perform a simple stretch test. Pull your skin tight on either side of the wrinkle you want to test, this will allow you to assess the potential for optimal treatment capability. If the line/wrinkle goes away when the skin is pulled tight, then full correction may be achieved. Keep in mind that if you can still see a line when you pull the skin, your physician will be able to smooth the area and fill in the wrinkle, but you may still see the line.

How much do the treatments cost?
Pricing varies depending on the number and types of areas being treated, the amount of filler material required to achieve the desired results and the physician administering the treatment.