Collagen is a popular and proven product that has been available to patients for about 18 years. More than one million patients worldwide have used collagen products. Collagen has enjoyed particular success as a lip enhancement product, since this filler produces a full, sensuous look to the lips. (The lips of many Hollywood stars have been collagen-enhanced.)

Not only is it a great product for the lips, collagen is also indicated for facial lines and wrinkles that make you look older. It is effective for the nasolabial folds (that's the line between the nose and the corner of your mouth) as well. Collagen provides immediate and visible results in this area. But like most fillers on the market, collagen is metabolized by the body so the results are not permanent. Usually, the results last about three months.

There are two variations of the collagen product. One is made from bovine (cow) collagen and one is made from human collagen. The well-known products that are bovine based are Zyderm and Zyplast. You must have a skin test 30 days prior to an injection of Zyderm or Zyplast to determine if you have any allergic reaction. The more recent collagen products that are human based are called CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast. No skin test is required with these products, but they cost slightly more.

Injectables, including collagen, are a great way to quickly and easily deal with aging and other facial skin issues and most dermatology/cosmetic treatment centers offer a range of injectables, with treatments administered by qualified physicians. Having a licensed medical doctor perform your procedures is a vitally important safety precaution; no one should trust anyone less qualified to administer injectables.

There is finesse required when injecting collagen as it is injected at several points along or under the area being treated. When a qualified physician administers injectables, patients find that complications are infrequent and are usually minor in nature. All injectables, including collagen, have a minor degree of pain associated with the injection process. But that is diminished because the anesthetic lidocaine is mixed in with the collagen and pretreatment with a topical numbing cream can further reduce discomfort.

Before you decide whether collagen may be right for you, or you're thinking about cosmetic injectables in general, take the time to learn all you can about the products and procedures involved. Take time, too, to learn about qualified, certified physicians offering the procedures in your area. Don't trust your health and safety to untrained "cosmetic clubs" you may have heard about. They are not only illegal - they most often are horribly damaging (and sometimes fatal). Injectables are safe when procedures are done by trained, certified physicians - but you're putting your looks (and perhaps even your life) in jeopardy if you allow the treatments to be done by anyone less qualified.

Note: The specific risks and the suitability of collagen for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation with a physician. All procedures have some degree of risk. The information provided here is not a substitute for a consultation.