Division of Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Collagen / Fat Injectable Fillers

What is soft tissue augmentation?

Collagen/fat injectable fillers, also called soft tissue augmentation, is done in order to correct wrinkles, depressions in the skin, and/or scarring. The procedure involves injecting a substance (collagen and/or fat) into the skin in order to plump or fill-up the area being treated. The result of the procedure is usually not permanent and touch-up injections may be needed every 3 to 12 months. For some, however, the collagen injections can stimulate the body's own production of collagen, lengthening the time necessary between follow-up injections.

What is injectable collagen?

Similar to collagen, a natural protein found in humans, injectable collagen is made from cows. This protein gives support and structure to skin, bones, ligaments, and other body parts. Collagen-related fillers from tissue donors or self-donated are generally utilized to treat wrinkles, scars, and facial lines.

What is injectable fat?

Injecting one's own fat to correct skin defects is called microlipoinjection. It includes the transfer or recycling of fat from one body area to another allowing the surgeon to recontour the skin. With a tiny needle, the fat is extracted and then reinjected into the selected site. This is often a favored treatment choice since it involves the use of one's own fat eliminating the risk of allergic reactions.

Possible complications associated with collagen treatments:

allergic collagen reactions
In order to avoid an allergic reaction, two skin tests are performed to determine if the patient is allergic to collagen.

This page was last updated on: September 20, 2007.

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