Can collagen injections work on facial scars such as chicken pox scars? The old pock marks really bother me.
Chicken pox scars are due to tetthering of the skin to the underlying soft tissue, and also due to soft tissue atrophy. Sometimes fillers in the deep dermis or subcutaneous space can help lift the scar. SOmetimes the scar may need to be excised or lasered to flatten the hills to meet the valleys of the scarrring. There are better fillers than collagen that can fill the deeper space. This includes Juvederm and Restylane to name a few.
Morgan,
Collagen or other filler injections can be very helpful with depressed scars. Without examining you or seeing a picture, it is hard to answer the question with specificity. However, anytime there is a depressed area, putting fillers underneath it can be very helpful.
The filler can be collagen, any of the HA products, Radiesse or even your own body fat. Find a good dermatologist or plastic surgeon in your area and they will be able to help you.
Yes, if the scar is one that can be raised up. Physicians who treat these scars should check before hand to ensure that the scar can be elevated by a simple examination in the office.
There are better fillers for facial scars than the old cow-hide collagen injections. There is human collagen (Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast) and hyaluronic acids such as Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane.
Isolagen is currently undergoing the last phase of United States FDA trials. If approved, this will allow physicians to treat your scars differently by “seeding” the dermis under the scar with your own cells that produce your collagen.
A tiny piece of skin is removed usually from behind the ear so no visible scars are seen, and this tissue is cultured in the company’s laboratory. The physician then receives a syringe of your fibroblasts which have been grown in number.
Once these are injected underneath the scars, new collagen will be produced by these special cells of yours. There is much promise with this technique as Isolagen was already used in the early 1990s prior to the FDA trials and good results had been seen for acne scarring.
Silicone injections are somewhat controversial and used off-label at this time. This means that it is not FDA approved yet for cosmetic use but as it is licensed for ophthalmic use, cosmetic dermatologists and surgeons can legally use it to build up acne scars.
When used with the appropriate micordroplet technique, the results can be outstanding and permanent with very little chance for migration or lump formation, but a thorough consultation with your physician is needed prior to embarking on such treatment.
Contact the doctor
