Cosmetic Injection Benefits and Side Effects

The neurotoxin botulinum toxin and dermal fillers such as the body's own fat, collagen, and hyaluronic acid are substances commonly used in cosmetic injections. The administration of a cosmetic injection is one of the ways to reduce the prominence of wrinkles and facial lines as well as to prevent the occurrence of new lines and creases on the face.

One of the primary causes of facial skin folds and lines is the diminishing volume of lipid tissues underlying the skin. This is a natural occurrence as years pass. Adding volume to areas under wrinkled skin using dermal fillers will make the lines and folds less prominent. Many patients opt to use their own lipid tissues as dermal fillers. This is called a fat implant. In this cosmetic injection process, fat is taken from one part of the patient's body and then deposited where a filler is needed.

Collagen makes up about 35 per cent of whole-body protein content. It is the most abundant protein found in mammals and is the main protein of connective tissue. It is extensively used in cosmetic surgery such as in the construction of artificial skin and the reconstruction of bone in burn patients. It gives the skin elasticity and strength. As skin ages, its collagen content decreases because the production of the protein wanes. The administration of collagen in a cosmetic injection seeks to increase the level of collagen content in the skin to restore a youthful appearance.

Hyaluronic acid is naturally abundant in youthful skin. Also known as hyaluronan or hyaluronate, it is present in body tissues and involved in tissue repair in the skin by stimulating the production of collagen. By binding water, it hydrates the skin. The distribution and functions of hyaluronic acid in the skin change as years pass, making the skin prone to wrinkles and facial lines. A cosmetic injection of hyaluronic acid can restore the skin's hyaluronic acid content to optimum levels.

Botulinum toxin immobilizes the muscles underlying wrinkled skin so that the lines and folds become less prominent. It does so by blocking the release of acetylcholine, a chemical neurotransmitter that relays messages from the brain to various parts of the body, between the nerve endings and muscle fibres at the cosmetic injection site. Produced by the anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum, botulinum toxin is actually a neurotoxic substance which causes botulism.

A qualified medical practitioner who has experience in cosmetic treatments and expert knowledge of facial anatomy must always administer a cosmetic injection. This is regardless of the type of cosmetic treatment to be injected. This will ensure that the injections will be made exactly where needed for maximum benefit. The same medical practitioner will also be the one best qualified to determine what substance should be used in an individual's cosmetic injection treatment.

Allergic reactions may be experienced as a result of a collagen cosmetic injection. In the case of hyaluronic acid injections, there could be pain, infection, allergic reactions, and scar formation. For botulinum toxin injections, there could be headache, flu-like symptoms, temporary eyelid droop, nausea, squint/double vision, twitching of the eye, facial pain, redness at the injection site, and muscle weakness. These are the most common side effects observed in cosmetic injection treatments.

Botox Cosmetic and Vistabel are the trade names under which the cosmetic injection botulinum toxin is commercially available. The rapidly growing biotechnology/medical device company Q-Med AB in Sweden manufactures an injectable gel form of hyaluronic acid available under the brand name Restylane.