How to Get Wrinkle-Filler Injections

If you're not squeamish about needles and don't mind the cost, a few tiny injections of Botox, collagen or even your own fat can temporarily turn back the clock. Watch frown lines, crow's-feet and lip creases all but disappear. But first, weigh these safety concerns and be sure to put your face in the right hands.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

1. Find a skilled cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist who injects Botox, collagen or fat as a part of his or her daily practice. A medical qualification alone isn't enough; it's a specialized, aesthetic field. Ask to see living examples of the doctor's work. (See How to Buy a New Body.)

2. Ask your doctor which substance will work best for you given the location and severity of your facial lines.

3. Botox is a diluted form of a powerful nerve toxin. Minuscule amounts are injected to temporarily paralyze or relax facial muscles so they don't--and can't--contract into wrinkles.

4. Collagen injections fill out lines from underneath--smile lines, lipstick bleed lines, crow's-feet, acne scars, even wrinkling on lips and hands. This synthetic filling agent derived from cows requires an allergy patch test before treatment.

5. Your own body's fat is good for filling in deep lines and poses no allergy problems. It can be removed from hips or buttocks then stored. The results can last longer than with Botox or collagen.

6. Factor in the cost of upkeep. With Botox and collagen, you'll need to repeat the injections every three to six months. Depending on the number of injections, Botox can cost $300 to $1,000 each time, and collagen $300 to $700.

7. Expect some irritation or redness afterward, and perhaps a little bruising with collagen, but nothing that makeup can't cover. You'll notice collagen's benefits right away. Botox's effects can take a few days or even up to three weeks to peak, then the effects gradually disappear as nerves regenerate. Getting injections may be a little uncomfortable, but it isn't painful because the needle is so fine.

Tips & Warnings

• Look out for a new treatment called Artefill--bovine collagen coupled with microscopic plastic spheres. Although it has some risks (it can turn lumpy or cause rashes), expect to hear more about it, as its results can be permanent. All the more reason to have a great surgeon do the treatment.
• Botox and collagen injections work best on people under 65 because the skin has more natural elasticity. Sun-damage wrinkles in older people don't always respond as well. Ask for a realistic assessment of expected improvement, given your age and skin.
• Botox is FDA-approved and there's no known allergy problem, but short-term problems can occur, such as a drooping eyelids or eyebrows, a frozen expression, and even drooling if it's used near the mouth. The usual cause for such problems is off-target placement.

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