The way your skin looks is directly related to the way your skin is supported.

Aging, disease, injury - these are some of the factors that can weaken the collagen fibers that give your skin its underlying strength.

Until the 1970's, it wasn't possible for doctors to replace damaged collagen. Now, both Zyderm Collagen and Zyplast Collagen Implants are available. Made of highly purified bovine collagen, these materials can be injected into your skin to supplement your body's own collagen and actually fill certain lines and facial furrows.

This information will not take the place of a consultation with our doctors, but it will answer some of the questions often asked about treatment with injectable collagen. And it will help you and your doctor decide whether Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen treatments can help to smooth your skin.


Collagen is a natural protein that provides structural support. It is found throughout the body - in skin, muscle, tendon, and bone. Fibers of collagen are woven together like threads in fabric to form a framework into which new cells can grow. In the skin, collagen provides texture, resiliency, and shape.

The collagen in human skin is very similar to the collagen found in certain animals. As a result, animal collagen has had many medical applications; for example, animal collagen has been used in sutures for over a century. Heart valves used during surgery are also made of collagen. Injectable Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants are made of collagen from cow skin that has been highly purified.


Both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants lend additional support to the collagen network within the skin. When a physician injects small amounts of either material directly into areas where the body's own collagen has been weakened, depressions can be raised to the level of the surrounding skin. Thus, lines and scars can be minimized, texture is improved, and the skin has a softer and more even tone.


Zyderm Collagen was formulated especially for people with small or superficial contour problems. It can be particularly effective in smoothing delicate frown and smile lines, as well as the fine creases that develop at the corners of the eyes and above and below the lips. It can also help correct certain kinds of shallow scars.

Zyplast Collagen was designed to treat depression requiring a stronger material. It is used for more pronounced contour problems (such as deeper scars, lines and furrows) and for areas upon which more force is being exerted (such as the corners of the mouth).

Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants may be used alone or in conjunction with one another. Dr. Eviatar will determine the potential benefits of each and an appropriate course of treatment.


Regardless of the ingredients, moisturizers work only on the skin's surface as a temporary cap to help retain water. Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants, however, are medical products injected below the skin’s surface where contour problems begin and where collagen replacement can help.


No. Dr. Eviatar will inquire about your medical history and administer a skin test to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for treatment. If you have a history of allergy to other bovine (cow) collagen products, severe allergies (indicated by a history of anaphylaxis (shock), or a history of presence of multiple severe allergies), if you are currently on corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy, e.g., prednisone, or are undergoing or planning to undergo desensitization injections to meat products, you cannot receive injectable collagen. Also, people who are sensitive to lidocaine cannot receive collagen implants, as a small amount of this anesthetic is contained in Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants, and in the Collagen Test Implant. Furthermore, people who have had previous allergic reaction to either Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen may not be re-treated. Neither Zyderm nor Zyplast Collagen Implant should be used for breast augmentation, and neither material should be injected into bone, tendon, ligament or muscle.

If you have a personal history of autoimmune disease which includes (but is not limited to) rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma (including CREST syndrome), systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, or polymyositis, dietary allergy to beef, or if you have recently been on corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy, your physician may want to administer additional skin tests before deciding if you should be treated.

If you have any questions about these medical conditions, be sure to discuss them with our staff. You will also be skin tested prior to treatment. Anyone who exhibits sensitivity to the material, as demonstrated by the skin test, cannot proceed with treatment.


There are three steps: a skin test, the treatment series, and periodic touch-ups.


To determine if you are eligible for treatment with either Zyderm or Zyplast Collagen Implant, Dr. Eviatar will inject a small amount of collagen into your forearm, just below the skin's surface. Both you and the doctor should watch the test site closely for four weeks for any signs of sensitivity to the material such as redness, swelling, or itching. Pay special attention to our test site during the first three days since the majority of test reactions occur during this period. At the first sign of any of these problems, contact the doctor.

Only about three out of every 100 tested patients show sensitivity to the test and cannot be treated with injectable collagen; 97 percent of all tested patients can be treated.


Treatment can begin after the four-week test observation period, if you are not sensitive to the skin test. Treatment involves a series of office visits - usually two weeks apart. Most patients see considerable improvement in one to three treatment sessions depending on the size, shape, and texture of the area undergoing treatment.


You may find that the injections are somewhat uncomfortable, particularly around the nose or lips. However, both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants contain a small amount of lidocaine that helps numb the area temporarily, and most people report that the injections are relatively painless.


Most patients feel comfortable in resuming their normal activities following treatment. Temporary puffiness of the treated areas, however, should be expected, especially with Zyderm Collagen Implants.

With both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants, you may also notice temporary blushing, slight bruising, and tenderness around the treatment sites. Like the puffiness, these are normal occurrences and all should subside within a few days. Although the material is generally not visibly distinguishable from the surrounding skin, some patients have reported that they were initially able to feel the outline of the injected collagen.

However, as the new collagen is incorporated into your own skin, the treatment site takes on the natural look and feel of healthy skin. Any redness and/or visible swelling that persist for more than a few days may indicate a reaction to the material. Be sure to report this or any other questionable symptoms to your doctor.


No. Touch-up injections are usually needed to maintain maximum correction. Because both Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implants are similar to your own skin, the same ongoing mechanical forces such as smiling or other muscle activity and biochemical processes - such as aging and active acne - that caused the original skin depressions, will alter them.  Collagen is one of the shortest lasting fillers used today.  Most patients require additional treatments in 3 to 4 months to maintain correction.