Sorting out the lip service on collagen injections

Q: I hear about all these celebrities getting collagen shots in their lips. What exactly is in these shots, and is it safe?

JVW: There are actually several different kinds of collagen used for these purposes, but cow collagen is probably the most common.

Cow collagen is very similar to human collagen, but it's not exactly the same. Some people's bodies might react to the slight differences by making antibodies to the cow collagen, and these antibodies could theoretically react with the person's own tissues, which could result in serious autoimmune problems.

So, like Botox, even though cow collagen has the FDA stamp of "approval," I recommend you stay away from it. Just as horse estrogen belongs in horses, cow collagen should stay in cows. What is...the Women's Health Initiative?

The Women's Health Initiative was a 15-year research program launched in 1991 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Its goal was to investigate the causes of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

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