Implants, injectable
(Collagen, Restylane®/Hylaform®, Autogenous Fat)

No implant other the kind made from biodegradable materials or materials produced naturally by the body should be used in aesthetic operations. This is crucial to avoiding long-term problems (deformations, discoloration, hardening, skin damage, asymmetry, etc.) which can result from use of non-absorbable substances (i.e. substances no longer used such as liquid silicon, Artecoll®, Dermalife®, Aquamid®, etc.) These are the standards set by the German Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, to which Dr. Wolter’s methods adhere. Due to decomposition, the effects of the surgery do eventually lessen, making repeat treatments necessary every three to six months to maintain the desired appearance. The advantage of this is a virtually 100% elimination of non-correctable side effects. Again, it is important to consider safety factors in selecting materials and to only use products that have been proven for more than a decade and have resulted in no serious complications.

There are two principal methods of treatment. As explained above, one can choose biodegradable, well-tolerable substances such as hyaluronic acid/collagen, or autologous fat. Although the most complicated of the methods, the Coleman Technique, which is a newly developed technique from the USA using autologous fat, produces the most long-term effects—in some cases even after just one treatment. Fat tissue suctioned from problem area is specially processed and injected directly under full anaesthesia. Fat tissue can also be frozen and saved for up to two years for later use in repeat treatments, making it unnecessary to extract fat tissue a second time. Autologous fat treatment is most ideally performed on the cheek, nasolabal fold and chin area. Lips can also be made fuller using tis technique. Because autologous fat is not as fine in consistency as chemically produced substances, rippling sometimes occurs.

The simplest and quickest method is the administration of Hydrafill®/Restylane®, which are both stabilized forms of hyaluronic acid. Because the substance is well-tolerable, allergy testing is not necessary as it is with collagen. Patients are normally able to resume regular social activities directly after treatment. In rare cases, a small degree of redness and swelling can occur, but disappears after a few hours. The effect lasts for three to six months, depending on the area treated, but the substance remains in the system for up to one year.

In addition to making wrinkled skin look smoother and fuller, the advantage of collagen is that it activates the body’s own production of collagen in the treated area. The effect, however, is not lengthened significantly due to this. Allergy testing is also necessary prior to first-time treatment, and a second test must be carried out four weeks later before collagen can be injected into the areas to be treated. Swelling and redness usually subside within four to six hours, and you will be able to return to work the very next day at latest. The results achieved by this procedure also last about three to six months.

Both procedures require you to avoid direct sunlight and solarium and sauna bathing the first day after treatment. With autologous fat treatments, these activities should be avoided for one to two weeks.