Organic implants are made of the following substances: Zyderm and Zyplast collagen suspensions, Koken atelocollagen solution, Fibrel gelatin matrix implant, Hylaform viscoelastic gel and fat (microlipid transfer). Inorganic implants are made of silicone fluid, Gore Tex or SoftForm. Each differs one from another, and each has both positive and negative attributes.
Collagen is one of the building blocks of skin. Some of the organic implants are forms of collagen which have different agents within their suspensions and solutions. Zyderm, Zyplast, and Koken are bovine collagen. Zyderm and Zyplast originate from the skin of cattle and are milky in appearance, whereas Koken is a clear solution originating from the skin of calves.
A significant breakthrough in soft tissue implants is Hylaform viscoelastic gel. This gel is a derivative of a ubiquitous molecule made of linked starches (polysaccharides) from modified hyaluronan which is located between the structural cells of the skin. It acts as a type of intercellular glue.
Fibrel and microlipid transfers both use substances from the patient's own body Fibrel is unique in that it is composed of gelatin powder and another chemical agent which is mixed with the yellow protein of the recipient's blood.
In the microlipid transfer, fat is taken from one area of the body usually from underneath the navel, and injected into the furrows or wrinkles of the same person.
Silicone fluid is an artificial solution of silicon, oxygen, and other elements. The use of silicone for injecting into wrinkles has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States nor the Health Protection Branch in Canada. Even so, it has been used by numerous practitioners because of its permanent nature, although it has been less popular since the advent of organic implants.
Medical Gore Tex has been used to patch blood vessels since the 1970's and in the hands of a skilled practitioner can be effective in the treatment of deep furrows and scars. If it is not properly implanted it can shift out of place. However it is not as unforgiving as silicone as it can be removed if it begins to migrate.
SoftForm facial implants is a new type of sub dermal (under the skin) implant which is valuable in the treatment of persistent deep furrows. Repeat treatments are not required. The SoftForm facial implant is composed of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and comes in the shape of a tube. Like GoreTex it has a safety record in other areas of medicine. It has been used in over 2 million patients in vascular repair procedures. The purported benefit over Gore Tex is that it is easier to implant, it does not slip out of place, and it is readily removed, if desired. As it is very new in the marketplace, only time will tell whether this is truly the case.
