Looking Good in laterlife
                              February 2007

Looking Good in laterlife is a regular column reporting on the latest tips on beauty products and processes for the more mature face and body.   

Anyone who has looked after her (or his) appearance over the years has the edge in later life compared to ravers who burned all their candles at both ends.     

A vast industry is out there to help with all and every beauty concern. In this column every month laterlife.com will report on ideas and products, old and new. All with the focus on maturity of course. 

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LOOKING GOOD IN LATERLIFE 

Isologen – the no-surgery treatment


What is Isolagen?

It’s collagen injections that come from your own cells. With other systems, collagen injections or creams or capsules are derived from a variety of sources. Collagen is a kind of protein that strengthens tendons and supports the skin and internal organs.

How does Isologen work?

Your own collagen-producing cells, called fibroblasts, are harvested and grown in a laboratory. These cells are re-injected into the area to be treated and produce new collagen. This revives the skin's natural elasticity and helps with the long-term reduction of facial lines, wrinkles and scars.

Which areas can be treated?

Isolagen is most commonly used in the treatment of frown lines, lines around the eyes and nose. It is also used for scars and is suitable for both men and women.

How is the treatment performed?

A skin biopsy is taken from behind the ear under local anaesthetic. There may be some pain when the anaesthetic wears off. The cells are extracted and are then developed in laboratories. Collagen producing cells (fibroblasts) provide millions of new cells. You have to wait eight weeks for this number of cells to develop. The new cells are then re-injected into the treatment area and these cells reactivate the body's natural production of collagen to give the treated skin new firmness and elasticity. Any unused cells can be frozen for top-up sessions.

How long does the treatment take?

Usually, it requires four appointments each lasting about 30 minutes. This includes the initial consultation with a surgeon, and the biopsy, then three sessions re-introducing cultured cells.

Are there any side effects?

Since the cells are produced from the client’s own body, risk of allergic reaction or other side effects are very rare. Most people experience slight reddening around the treatment area, which usually disappears within 24–48 hours of treatment. There may also be slight bruising and some pain from the injections. A local anaesthetic may be given.

How long do the improvements last?

The procedure is very new, but so far treatments appear to last for at least two years.

Is there an age limit on the treatment?

The upper limit is 72 years of age since cells may not renew themselves after this. But the freezing process means that cells can be stored and used after this age.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the surgeon’s assessment, as all patients are different. A guide price is ?3500-?5000.

Since this article was published the company providing Isolagen has ceased trading in the UK.

If in any doubt about any of the information covered in health related articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.

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laterlife interest

The above article is part of the features section of laterlife.com called laterlife interest. laterlife interest contains a variety of articles of interest for visitors to laterlife.com written by a number of experienced and new journalists.

It includes both one off articles and also associated regular columns of a more specialist nature such as Healthwise, Talkback, Gardener's Diary, and a beauty section called Looking good in later life.

There's also 'It could be you' by Maggi Stamp laterlife's counsellor on human relationships. 

Also don't forget to take a look at our regular IT question and answer section called YoucandoIT by IT trainer and author Jackie Sherman.

To view the latest articles click on laterlife interest or to view indexes to previous articles click on laterlife interest index. To search for articles about a certain topic, use the site search feature at the top of the navigation.