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Anti Aging Health - Healthy = Youthful

Health is the foundation of anti aging. Anti Aging Health defines the measures that achieve optimal health of the body. A body that is in optimal health is able to self repair, self rejuvenate and stay free from degenerative diseases and other age related or ill-health related conditions. As a Beauty Specialist I want to make a point that beauty is related directly to health. The state of your skin is the reflection of your health. Aging is a normal process, however premature skin aging is the mirror image of the rate you're body is aging inside. A healthy image is a youthful image. Confronting Your Health Degenerative Diseases The worlds most destructive diseases today are not those caused by viruses or germs. They are degenerative diseases, which result from the accumulated damage and degeneration of the cells or progressive deterioration over time. In its annual report, the World Health Organization warns that cancer, heart disease and other chronic conditions, which already kil...

Collagen Fillers

Collagen is nature's skin support system…

Your skin is 75% collagen - collagen is the reason your skin looked plump and fresh while you were young. With age - as the collagen in your skin starts to break down - your skin no longer has all its natural padding and sagging and wrinkles start to appear.

Collagen fillers allow doctors to put back the collagen you lose over time in a radical anti-aging treatment. Injections of collagen under the skin smooth out wrinkles and fill sagging and sunken areas of skin.

Where does the collagen come from?

If you are thinking about having a collagen filler this is a very good question to ask. You need to know about the two types of collagen filler that you could be offered:

·        Those containing bovine collagen

·        Those containing human collagen

Bovine collagen has been around the longest and is the least expensive option. This type of collagen filler is mostly used to eliminate wrinkles and depressed scars.

Human collagen is sourced in a variety of ways including tissue culture and cadaver tissue removed at the time of death. That sounds pretty gruesome - and to be fair it probably is - but what you need to be most concerned about is how the tissue is treated and tested after it is extracted.

All human tissue has to be tested for conditions such as HIV and hepatitis - and treated to remove all cells before being processed into an injectable form. Human collagen is available in sheet form in which it is commonly used as an anti-aging treatment for deep wrinkles, folds and furrows. In its injectable form its primary use is as an anti-aging treatment for medium wrinkles, fine lines and pitted scars.

The Procedure

If your doctor is using bovine collagen, you will be advised to have a skin test where a small amount of collagen is injected into your forearm to see if you have an allergic response. Around 3% of people will have a positive skin test preventing them from having treatment with bovine collagen.

Collagen fillers are injected through very fine needles inserted into the skin along the edge of the treatment area. Some surgeons use a local anesthetic - although should your doctor choose not to you will feel minor stinging and burning.

Because part of the injection consists of salt water, the doctor will overfill the area. The salt water will then be absorbed into the tissue within two days leaving the area smooth and plump with a marked decrease in wrinkles and lines. You will get some redness and discomfort immediately following the treatment which should disappear within a couple of days.

No bandaging is needed and you'll be free to resume your normal daily activity almost immediately. That includes wearing make-up and sunscreen.

Are there any drawbacks?

One important drawback is that injected collagen is gradually degraded by the body's enzymes and can only be replenished by more injections.

Bovine collagen tends to have a life span of only 3-6 months while the more expensive human collagen lasts 6 months when injected and up to 2 years when used in sheet form. After this time, those wrinkles you first spotted in the mirror will start to reappear. 

Increasingly other dermal fillers - especially those based on hyaluronic acid - are taking over from collagen as the filler of choice for many surgeons as there is less risk of allergy and they are more long lasting.

What about the risks?

As long as the procedure is carried out by a qualified surgeon, the risks associated with collagen fillers are few and any complications that may arise are rarely serious.

The greatest risk is that of allergy but providing the allergy test is clear this should not be a problem. Human collagen is less likely to lead to allergy than bovine collagen, which carries a 3-7% risk of this happening.

Other risks include infection, abscesses, open sores, skin peeling, scarring and lumpiness, although all of these are extremely rare and usually associated with poorly trained physicians. If you have a history of cold sores, you may find that they break out if the collagen is injected close to your lips.

It is also worth bearing in mind that connective tissue disease could arise after bovine collagen injections although no definite link has been established.

Can anybody have collagen filler treatment?

No. There are certain people who should avoid collagen fillers. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma or dermatomyositis, collagen should be avoided.  If you have acne, you won't be able to have collage fillers because of the increased risk of infection. If you have any of these conditions, then you should think about an alternative anti-aging treatment - perhaps a less invasive approach.

What's the cost?

On the surface collagen fillers appear to be an inexpensive anti-aging option with each syringe costing between $300-$700 (£200-£400).

However, you need to remember that this could be a lot more depending on the degree of sagging and wrinkling you want to correct. The number of syringes you need will depend on the size of the area and the severity of the wrinkles.

You also need to bear in mind that this is not a long-term anti-aging solution. If you are being treated with bovine collagen, you need to commit to paying around $1200-1500 per year for all the anti-wrinkle treatments you would need. You are unlikely to want less than four in a year as the effect will wear off after three months.  

With human collagen, you will pay more per treatment but you will need less to maintain your new look as each treatment will last longer. You also need to consider the repetitive nature of the treatments and the discomfort involved.

Alternatives and additional treatments

Botox and fat fillers (where fat is taken from elsewhere in your body) are alternative anti-aging treatments to collagen fillers. Your doctor may also suggest chemical peels, laser resurfacing or microdermabrasion in addition to the collagen filler.

Of course, if you really want to slow the anti-aging clock - natural anti-aging strategies such as proper skin care, anti-aging sun protection and an optimum anti-aging diet should be given priority. Much can be done before radical invasive treatment needs to be considered.

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