Cosmetic Injection Benefits and Side Effects

By Daniel Gibbs on May 31, 2009

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.

Two of the cosmetic surgery applications in which collagen is most often used are the reconstruction of bone and the construction of artificial skin in burn patients. Collagen makes up about 35 per cent of whole-body protein content and is the main protein of connective tissue. It gives elasticity and strength to the skin and is the most abundant protein found in mammals. The collagen content of skin decreases with advancing age because of waning production of the protein. The administration of collagen in a cosmetic injection can restore the youthful appearance of the skin by increasing its collagen content.

Hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin by binding water to it. It also stimulates the production of collagen in the skin, thus promoting tissue repair and skin elasticity. Also known as hyaluronate or hyaluronan, it is especially abundant in youthful skin. As years pass by, the skin becomes more prone to wrinkles and facial lines because of changes in the function and distribution of hyaluronic acid in it. The skin’s hyaluronic acid content can be restored to optimum levels by a cosmetic injection of hyaluronic acid.

Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic substance produced by the anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum. It causes botulism and is not a dermal filler like the three mentioned above. It blocks 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. This immobilizes the muscles underlying wrinkled skin so that the lines and folds become less prominent.

A cosmetic injection, regardless of the type of substance injected, must be administered by a qualified medical professional. One who has expertise in facial anatomy and experience in injecting substances such as the ones mentioned above will ensure that the injections are made at the correct spots so that optimal benefits will be obtained. The medical professional will also help determine which cosmetic injection substance is best for the individual.

There are side effects associated with any type of cosmetic injection. These include 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 in the case of botulinum toxin injections. For hyaluronic acid injections, there could be pain, infection, allergic reactions, and scar formation. Injections of collagen could also generate allergic reactions.

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

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