What is a Collagen Biostimulator?

• 
• Author e-FILLERS Team
• Feb 10th, 2023

Collagen decrease: a prominent source of facial aging

Collagen is a fibrous protein which brings support and structure to the skin. As the collagen goes down with age, visible signs like wrinkling and laxity in the skin appears. The purpose of collagen biostimulators is to activate rejuvenation of collagen in the skin and help restablish its inside structure and volume. A collagen biostimulator consists of a substance that is injected into the deep dermis, the middle layer of the skin, to stimulate collagen production.

A Collagen Biostimulator treatment is minimally invasive and has little or no downtime.

One of the initial collagen biostimulator that was formed, uses poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) for revitalizing production of collagen. PLLA is a substance used for dissolvable sutures for wound management. Since launching this original biostimulator made up of PLLA, another one has been set up containing calcium hydroxylapatite that can be found in human teeth and bones. The microparticles of a PLLA biostimulator are first reassembled and then inserted into the stubborn core layer followed by impermanent swelling due to water and other components present in product, which results in reducing wrinkles and laxity right after treatment period. Other corrections would not remain visible once body has absorbed liquid within few days. With a time period being passed, the successively stimulated collagen will substitute structural support.

How Collagen Biostimulators work?

In details, once injected, this substance will cause a temporal swelling and thereby reduce the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin. Gradually, over time, the effects of the biostimulator will replace the structural support lost during aging and improve skin laxity. This treatment is minimally invasive and has little or no time for recuperation from it. Effects may take several months to become noticeable following first therapy, usually persisting up to two years or longer. A collagen biostimulator does not cause sudden changes. A PLLA biostimulator impacts come gradually over couple months and last up to one or two years.

According to a study conducted at the Medical School of ABC, Santo André - Brazil, the mechanism of action of biostimulators has important practical implications, including the application form, the results optimization, and the adverse events minimization. Its application on the skin allows the correction of sagging skin and wrinkles by the gradual increase of tissue volume. Each treatment will lead to collagen formation, and the magnitude will depend on the concentration and volume used, which must be individualized. Subsequent injections promote continuous stimulation of tissue response, with deposition of more extracellular matrix and the resulting improvement in skin flaccidity and facial contour.

As the biomaterial implantation results may not be evident for weeks, it is essential to wait for the biological response between applications to happen. The use of additional treatments should be conduct at intervals of at least four weeks so that there is no overcorrection. Response time and degree of correction depend on each patient's characteristics, which vary according to age, sex, skin quality, phototype, and diet.