Collagen-stimulating injectables offer more than just a filling effect. In fact, while they give some initial volume, they really work over time to stimulate collagen for long-lasting fullness.
1. It’s safe to have collagen stimulators injected anywhere into the face. False
Both Radiesse and Sculptra Aesthetic have specific indications for where on the face they should be used. Unlike hyaluronic acid fillers, they should never be used in the lips or in small lines around the lips. “The only places where these should be injected are in the jowls, nasolabial folds, marionette lines and chin wrinkles, so that they can do their job. These area not line fillers but they do restore collagen and add volume that way,” sys West Palm Beach, FL, dermatologist Kenneth R. Beer, MD. Sometimes, when these are used in inappropriate places, lumps and bumps can form, which some patients liken to the pain associated with cystic acne.
2. Some collagen stimulators aren’t really fillers, even though they are commonly referred to as that. True
Collagen stimulators may provide some initial filling effect due to the fluid that surrounds the microscopic particles in the product (these prompt collagen to be made). “During the first 24 hours after injections, the fluid gets absorbed and the fullness that you initially see may start to dissipate,” explains Sacramento, CA, dermatologist Jacqueline Calkin, MD. But once the fullness is gone, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever resurface—it takes time to stimulate new collagen for the full effects to show in the face, which can take a few months and a few treatment sessions.
3. Collagen-stimulating fillers and hyaluronic acid fillers both create the same amount of collagen. False
Through hyaluronic acid weren’t formulated to do so, science has proven they can create collagen. But many doctors agree that the amount of collagen made is not as much of collagen made is not as you can expect from products that are specifically formulated to create collagen. “Restylane, Perlane, and Juvéderm have the potential to stimulate natural collagen,” says Beverly Hills, CA, Facial Plastic Surgeon Davis Nguyen, MD. The function of collagen-stimulating fillers is to create collagen. Hyaluronic acid fillers add fullness. “With a hyaluronic acid filler, the collagen effect is modest when compared to a collagen stimulator,” says Dr. Calkin.
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