| SKIN
INVOLVEMENT: MAIN MENU |
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| Collagen Injections, Face Lifts, and Scleroderma |
 Hello,
I am Sherrill
Knaggs, your ISN Guide to Collagen. This page has not
yet been medically edited. Just because something is listed
here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience
it. See Disclaimer. |
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| Overview of Collagen Injections |
| Patients with certain connective
tissue diseases may have an increased risk of severe allergic
reactions to collagen injections. These connective tissue diseases
include, but are not limited to, rheumatoid
arthritis, scleroderma,
and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They also include polymyositis
and dermatomyositis (PM/DM), which are chronic, progressive,
and sometimes fatal inflammatory disorders. |
| Thus, collagen injections should
be used with caution in people who have had these diseases.
Some experts recommend that people who have had these diseases
should either not be given collagen injections at all or should
be given multiple skin tests before treatment. |
| Collagen Injections and Autoimmune Diseases |
| Who
should not have collagen injections? "People who
have collagen vascular diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis,
psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma, systemic or discoid lupus,
polymyonitis and C.R.E.S.T. syndrome should never have collagen
injections. Others that are receiving immuno suppressive
therapy for cancer and hemophiliacs are also not candidates.
Since there is lidocaine in the collagen, people who are
allergic to lidocaine are not candidates." Excerpt from expired article by Roger
Y. Murray, M.D., The Murray Center. |
| Are
there any other types of reactions I should be aware of? An
increased incidence of cell-mediated and humoral immunity
to various collagens have been found in systemic connective
tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, and progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).
Patients with these diseases may thus have an increased susceptibility
to an allergic response and/or accelerated clearance of their
implants when injected with bovine dermal collagen preparations.
If you have any of these diseases, you should discuss this
specifically with your doctor. Myron M. Persoff, M.D.,
F.A.C.S. |
| Face Lifts and Scleroderma |
| Saving
face: The nips and tucks of face-lifts. Avoid face-lifts
if you have lupus or scleroderma - autoimmune diseases -
which affect your face. Lupus can cause a rash on your face,
and scleroderma can cause facial skin to grow hard and thick.
If you're taking medications that suppress your immune system
for other autoimmune diseases, you may need to avoid surgery,
as well, since the drugs can slow your healing process. Cybernoon.com
08/29/05. |
| Scleroderma Lips |
| Scleroderma
Lips Deep lines around the lips worry many scleroderma
sufferers but unfortunately collagen injections and laser
treatment are not advisable as they may cause scarring. Tightening
of the skin of the face may lead to microstomia - a small
mouth. Facial
and mouth exercises may help. "Disappearing lips" can
be a very upsetting cosmetic problem and a reputable plastic
surgeon may be able to perform an operation called a mucosal
advancement. Royal Free Hospital. (Also see Dental
Involvement) |
| Collagen Injections Causing Connective Tissue Diseases |
| Collagen
and Liquid Silicone Injections Some physicians have reported
that patients developed PM/DM and other connective tissue
diseases after receiving collagen injections even though
they never had these diseases before. FDA is investigating
whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between
having collagen treatments and later developing PM/DM or
similar diseases. FDA, August 1991. (Also see Causes
of Scleroderma) |
| Collagen Degradation Products And Inflammatory Activity In Systemic (SSc) And Localized Scleroderma (LSc). In patients with SSc our data have shown the most intensive collagen degradation and simultanously an active inflammation which reflects the pathological processes in the skin and visceral organs, compared with psoriasis vulgaris patients and healthy inviduals. In LSc group collagen degradation was similar to that in control groups but a certain inflammatory activity was observed. R. Becvar THU0242 EULAR 2007. (Also see: Systemic Scleroderma and Localized Scleroderma) |
| Collagen Injections to Repair Linear/Morphea Lesions |
| Bilateral
Linear Morphea (en coup de sabre) Atrophic lesions also
may be treated surgically with collagen injections and autologous
fat transplantation. Expired article from Wayne State University School of
Medicine, Dept. of Dermatology, 2002. |
