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As an extension of animal-derived collagen, the development of human-based collagen material for cosmetic injections was inevitable and based on the science of cell culture technology. CosmoDerm™ I and II and CosmoPlast™ (sound similar to Zyderm™ and Zyplast™ ?) are injectable implants derived from highly purified human collagen. Both CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast were FDA-approved for use in facial aesthetic enhancement in March 2003 and are the only FDA approved injectable fillers made from human collagen.The collagen is cultured from a single cell line of human dermal fibroblasts that has been used for over ten years to manufacture human-based tissues; these cells produce natural collagen that is then isolated and purified for injection. Like its ‘cow cousins’, CosmoDerm™ and CosmoPlast™ differ in the concentration of collagen per cc. and both have a local anesthetic agent (lidocaine) in them for pain control after injection.
Despite the tremendous appeal of combining two biologically favorable concepts, collagen and human-derived, the actual results with these injectable materials appears to be quite similar to bovine collagen. No study has ever been reported that has shown that it produces longer-lasting results, no matter how intriguing this combination should be. In theory, one would think that human-derived collagen would be much less prone to being broken down and would have a longer-lasting effect. But this apparently is not so. Human or animal, collagen is only a very temporary resident in the human body.
The biggest advantage to human collagen injections is that no skin testing is required prior to treatment. Because it is created from purified human collagen, the risk of an allergic reaction to it is much less than with extracts from animal material. While this is a great advantage over Zyderm™ and Zyplast™, the plethora of hyaluronic acid injectable fillers (and other compositions as well) today has made this advantage irrelevant.
Collagen injection implants, albeit derived from cows or humans, turns out to be only a very temporary space filler. They are reasonably well-tolerated for a short time but do not invoke any collagen production or formation that would provide for some thickening effect that would lead to a longer-term result. In short, collagen does not appear to make collagen in human skin. While all other injectable fillers are only temporary also, their mechanisms of breakdown are much slower and they therefore have a longer lasting effect. This has relegated the collagen injection materials to an almost historic role in aesthetic facial treatments.

Dr. Barry Eppley

http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com

http://www.ologyspa.com

Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel, Indiana

Clarian West Medical Center, Avon, Indiana

Indianapolis

Bovine( cow-derived) injectable collagen (ZyDerm 1, ZyDerm 2, and ZyPlast) has been around longer than any other injectable filler. In fact, they were the first injectable fillers approved by the FDA way back in 1981. There were unrivaled until 2002 when the first hyaluon-based injectable fillers came unto the market. As a result, they are the ‘granddaddy’ of all injectable fillers and are what every injectable filler since has been compared to in FDA pre-market testing. From an FDA standpoint, they are what is viewed as the ‘predicate device’. (which means to a patient….. to have a modern day advantage all you have to do is be better than the old thing) Injectable bovine collagen comes in different formulations based on how much collagen is present per cc and how it is cross-linked for durability.
Because of its age and ‘older technology’, it is the least expensive of the many types of injectable fillers currently available.. But it has two distinct disadvantages…Unfortunately, around 3 to 6 percent of people will develop an allergic reaction due to the differences between human and cow collagen. As a result, everyone must have a skin test prior to an injection session. Only if no reaction is observed at the injection site after four weeks should one be injected. Unfortunately still, some patients who have had a negative skin test will still go on to have an allergic reaction. Because of these potential allergic reactions, people with connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma and dermatomyositis should never receive bovine collagen injections. The second disadvantage is that it doesn’t last very long, usually only 6 to 12 weeks. It is rapidly broken shortly after being injected as the body’s enzymes do not recognize it as ‘self’ and begins dissolving it fairly quickly.
While pure bovine collagen injections are almost of historic significance only, being surpassed by every new injectable filler in terms of longevity and less reactivity, it has established some important principles to which modern-day injectable fillers should strive to achieve. These include the ease of injection through a very small (30 gauge) needle, the combination with the local anesthetic lidocaine, and establishing the public’s awareness of the simplicity and effectiveness of cosmetic injection therapy.
Dr. Barry Eppley
http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com
http://www.ologymd.com
Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel, Indiana
Clarian West Medical Center, Avon, Indiana
Indianapolis