In our eternal pursuit for youth, or at least a youthful look, tight smooth skin is a top priority. Women reaching their thirties and forties (and sometimes even earlier) often begin to worry about those telltale signs of time: wrinkles. Actually, this day and age (oops, I said the bad word!), some men are just as worried over those creasy lines. Plastic surgery has become a massive industry, trying to provide us with solutions to this and other cosmetic concerns. This hub reviews the most popular options for fighting skin aging and specifically soft tissue fillers, popularly known as collagen injections.

So, how do you fight those wrinkles? Getting a facelift is one solution, and indeed it's the solution of choice when you really need to tighten sagging skin. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), it is the only viable solution that produces good results in the long term. Still, it is a major operation, involving anesthesia and corresponding costs. While prices vary according to the surgeon's expertise, the average fee for a facelift (Rhytidectomy) is just over $5,000 and that's just the surgeon's fee (not including hospital fees, anesthesiologist, lab tests and more). If you opt for creams instead, there's a huge selection of some pretty expensive varieties. While they are mostly painless and actually do cause an improvement in skin tone and overall looks, they are also pretty pricey and require constant use to achieve results.

Price is just one reason why facial injections have become an extremely popular measure of treating skin aging. Botox is a brand name that's become a household term by now, with Botox parties making the headlines. With an actual paralyzing toxic agent injected into facial muscles, it brings about a temporary relief in wrinkles and creases. Despite the possible side effects, Botox has actually become the leading non-surgical procedure performed by plastic surgeons in America. Yet, what botox does is just to paralyze your facial muscles. When you actually want to fill out the wrinkles, another option is using soft tissue fillers injected into the skin.

Soft tissue fillers are known as "collagen injections", although these days, collagen is not the only, or even the most popular agent used. According to the ASPS, Calcium hydroxylapatite, commercially known as Radiesse, is replacing collagen as the leading substance used for facial injections. Calcium hydroxylapatite is a mineral-like substance, naturally present in our bones, used in gel form to augment deep creases. Radiesse injections are performed by a plastic surgeon and are now the filler of choice at most clinics.

Collagen is still widely used, and is significantly cheaper than Radiesse. According to the ASPS' stats, in 2007 Americans paid an average of $807 for a Radiesse injections treatment and only $394 on average for a collagen injections session. Collagen is the natural protein that is actually in our skin (as well as other body tissues). It's the breaking down of collagen that creates skin aging, so when using collagen, we are filling up the gaps with a substance that is similar to what is already there.Collagen is the stuff that makes our skin cells "stick together". In fact, the name collagen is derived from the Greek word for glue and literally means "glue producer". In ancient times, collagen was produced from animal skins and used as the super glue of the old world.

The collagen that is used for cosmetic procedures is usually of bovine or porcine origins (that's cows and pigs for you, sorry!) This is considered a fairly safe treatment, but some people may be allergic to certain types of collagen.

If you opt for collagen injections, your doctor is likely to perform an allergy test prior to treatment. The procedure itself is rather simple. Defined as "minimally invasive", it only lasts a few minutes. After careful analysis of your face, your surgeon will decide on the places and lines to be augmented and is likely to mark them on your face.

The injection sites will be cleaned with anti-bacterial agents and you may be offered a topical numbing agent or even local anesthesia. The injections itself then take place, and your face then cleaned from any pen marks and you are good to go.

Possible Side Effects of Collagen Shots

Yes, they may be minimally invasive, but as with any medical procedures there are possible side effects and complications.

With any filler injection (fat, Radiesse, collagen or Hyaluronic Acid), you may experience some pain or discomfort. Injection sites can get infected (though it is a rare complication) or just exhibit redness and/or bruising signs. Sometimes filler material may migrate and affect muscle groups under your skin.

Choose your surgeon carefully, and opt for an experienced doctor with good reputation. It is possible to over-correct wrinkles, or under-correct them. It's even possible to create a facial asymmetry with these filler injections, so you want to make sure you put your face in good hands.