Cosmetic Therapies: Silicone Micro Droplet Therapy

Cosmetic Therapies Index : Silicone Micro Droplet Therapy

What Is It?

INDICATIONS FOR SILICONE MICRODR0PLET INJECTIONS: Defects due to loss of tissue such as acne or chicken pox scars, pressure ulcerations, wrinkles or expression lines and depressed tissues caused by heredity or trauma.

Mechanism of action: The microdroplets of injected silicone cause your own skin cells (fibrocytes) to produce new collagen. It is similar to seeding an oyster; the microdroplet is the grain of sand and the collagen is the pearl. This new collagen pearl replaces lost tissue.

Microdroplet silicone does not substitute for:

Facelift - redrapes the face by removing loose skin and excess fat.
Laser resurfacing - resurfaces by removing wrinkled, scarred or sun damaged skin allowing new skin to form.
Graft- repairing defective skin eg. "ice pick!" scar by moving new undamaged skin to the area.

Compatibility with other procedures: Silicone injection therapy is completely compatible with other procedures. It may be administered before or after a facelift, laser resurfacing or grafting for scars. These procedures, as well as others, complement each other.

Material and history: Liquid medical grade injectable silicone has been used safely for 30 years. It is pharmaceutically medical grade (100% pure, no additives, no particles, sterile, stored in glass) suitable for safe and effective soft tissue augmentation. It is non-allergenic and no skin test is required.

Usual administration and treatment schedule: Each microdroplet (0.01-0.05 ml) is injected separately at 5-mm intervals. A special syringe with an extra-fine (27-30 gauge) needle is used. A series of visits is required, initially at 1-month intervals. This allows time for new collagen to develop in response to previous injections. Benefit may not be obvious until after 3-6 visits depending on site and/or defect to be improved.

Temporary effects: There is an immediate slight swelling at the sites of needle insertion, similar to any other injection. Bruising may occur if the needle hits a vessel; firm pressure immediately after injection helps prevent this. Discomfort is no more than that experienced from any type of injection and possibly less because the needle used is especially thin. The silicone itself causes no pain. Anesthetic creams can be used before each visit. They need to be applied at least one hour before injection. The cream can be applied either in office or at home.

Duration/ Persistence of Effect: Silicone- induced natural collagen will last as long as your original collagen. It corrects previous loss of collagen but cannot prevent future loss of collagen caused by aging, facial expression, mannerisms or scarring. Maintenance injections at longer intervals are helpful to correct further changes.

Coordinate therapy and sequelae: A defect in tissue contour can be the result of a raised area next to a depressed area. The raised area of excess fat or of raised collagen (natural or silicone- induced) can be lowered with injections of triamcinolone acetonide. It is administered much like silicone but takes tissue away. If inflammation is present, oral antibiotics and topical, intralesional or oral anti-inflammatory steroids will speed resolution.

Alternatives

Undermining of depressed scar tissue: A sharp-edged instrument, inserted through a small incision in the skin, is used to cut the base of the scar free from the underlying tissue. This sometimes improves the appearance of the scar. Discrete scars can also be removed and closed with a stitch to improve appearances.

Foreign collagen injections: For more than 100 years, collagens from various sources including cowhide and human skin have been used in an attempt to replace lost human collagen. Though purified, these collagens may cause allergic reactions and or inflammation that may also be precipitated by sun, alcohol, aspirin, beef, heat, cold and menses. In addition, since they are foreign, the body will absorb them, resulting in temporary improvement.

Silicone has been approved as SILIKON 1000 (Alcon Laboratories) by the FDA for injection into the eye in selected cases of retinal detachment.

The FDA has also approved liquid injectable silicone for many years as a lubricant for disposable syringes and needles. From this approved use alone, it is estimated that the average diabetic using disposable syringes injects his/her body with 3-5 ml of liquid silicone each year. Further, liquid silicone is also approved by the FDA for human ingestion in foodstuffs and as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals.

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