As humans age, many things happen to the structures of our bodies. Bones start to become brittle, muscles weaken, and other internal organs also change condition. One of the most obvious parts of the body that sustains changes is the skin. Wrinkles form, the outer surface can become dry, and other parts of the face and neck can droop. Much of this skin transformation can be traced to the fact that collagen begins to degrade as we age, but there are ways to combat this change. Collagen is one way to restore a youthful look to an aging face.
As you get older, the skin on your face may sag. This sagging often is seen in the neck area, but also in the lips which may appear to get thinner and less plump as we age. Collagen treatments seek to remedy this by adding collagen to the lip area, creating a firmer, plumper looking lip. Collagen that is used for lips is often taken from the tissues of other animals, making this an organic solution. As it is organic, there is also a risk of reaction to the collagen – which can include allergic reactions such as itchiness, redness, swelling and other signs of allergy.
Another organic way of filling wrinkles used frequently in the face area that is similar to collagen are fat injections. Often, the fat is taken from your own body (in an area that tends to hold more fat, such as the thigh or buttocks), which reduces the risk of any adverse reaction. The fat is then injected into the lip as a temporary plumping agent. Unfortunately, since this is only a temporary type of treatment, many patients have to repeat these treatments to achieve their desired look.
There are also synthetic alternatives to collagen lip treatments. These include Fibril, which is a gelatin powder that is mixed with the patient's own blood to make a collagen like treatment, and Goretex. Goretex is a thread-like material that is placed underneath a patient's skin so that it can add soft-tissue support.
While there are many different ways to surgically and cosmetically enhance your lips, collagen is still considered one of the most popular. Just be sure to consult your surgeon before having this procedure done, and know the risks of allergic reaction before consenting to collagen treatments.
