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Collagen is a natural protein that makes up 80% of the skin. Collagen keeps the cells hydrated and provides overall structural support. But with age, collagen production decreases. Collagen was the original filler in cosmetic dermatology, introduced as a way to restore the volume and firmness lost to age. But collagen injections are slowly being replaced by newer, more versatile, and longer lasting fillers, many which are made from hyaluronic acid.

There are two main forms of collagen injections. The first of its kind, bovine collagen, was introduced and approved by the FDA as a cosmetic product in 1982 and is derived from purified cow skin. The other option: collagen implants grown in a lab using human skin cells.

Until 2011, bovine collagen was used in products like Zyderm and Zyplast and lab-grown human cells were used in CosmoPlast and CosmoDerm. In early 2010, Allergan, the manufacturer of all four of these products, announced that at year's end, they would stop distributing all four of their collagen-based injections -- CosmoDerm, CosmoPlast, Zyderm, and Zyplast. If your practitioner still offers Zyderm, Zyplast, CosmoDerm, or CosmoPlast, it's probably old stock.