FILLERS

Around 1980, the U.S. FDA banned the use of silicone injections, which were never fully legalized in the first place. That did not stop their use, of course. Collagen injections from cow skin were developed and approved to replace silicone injections.
Approximately 70 percent of the protein in the skin consists of collagen. Since it is a natural substance, collagen will become part of the body metabolism and as such it will gradually disappear from the place of injection. Usefulness of collagen injections in comparison with silicone injections was found to be rather limited.
The story of collagen injections can serve as an example of every other filler that appeared on the market after silicone.
The media have reported, and perpetuated, many misconceptions about collagen injections. Collagen injections were allegedly to replace face lift or chemical peel of the face. That was a complete non-sense. Collagen injections work well in improving the frown lines in the middle of the forehead just above the root of the nose. Deep naso-labial creases between the upper lips and the cheeks can also be improved with collagen injections. But that’s about all that collagen injections could accomplish.
Several other fillers were developed and sold prior to the collagen injections, and since their introduction. Every one of them has been heavily promoted, with the same claims as those for collagen, but none has survived serious scrutiny of the marketplace. Those in use today will end up the same way.
The ideal filler must be easy to apply; the technique of injection must be simple. It must not cause any reactions by the recipient organism. Most importantly, it must remain in place for a long period of time, at least a year.
Such an ideal filler would be of enormous help to a cosmetic surgeon to correct various minute deformities. Hopefully someone will discover such a filler.