Retrospective Cohort Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jun 6, 2024; 12(16): 2713-2721
Published online Jun 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i16.2713
Clinical efficacy of intradermal type I collagen injections in treating skin photoaging in patients from high-altitude areas
Bin Yang, Ao He, Bin-Bin Bu, Gong Zhuo, Qing-Zhu Zhou, Jia-Hang He, Liu Liu, Wen-Li Huang, Xian Zhao
Bin Yang, Ao He, Gong Zhuo, Qing-Zhu Zhou, Jia-Hang He, Liu Liu, Wen-Li Huang, Xian Zhao, Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, The Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Kunming, Calmette Hospital Kunming, Kunming 650224, Yunnan Province, China
Bin-Bin Bu, Department of Dermatology, The People's Hospital of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture 675099, Yunnan Province, China
Co-first authors: Bin Yang and Ao He.
Author contributions: Yang B and He A conceptualized this study; Bu BB, Gong Z and Zhou QZ contributed to data collection; Yang B, He JH and Liu L drafted the initial manuscript and contributed to formal analysis; Huang WL provided guidance for this study and contributed to methodology and visualization; Yang B, Zhao X and He A validated this study; He A, as a co first author, made equal contributions to this study; all authors participated in this study and jointly reviewed and edited the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study has been reviewed and approved by the medical ethics committee of Kunming first people's Hospital.
Informed consent statement: The study has obtained the informed consent signed by the patient or guardian.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Zhao has nothing to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No data available.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xian Zhao, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, The Affiliated Calmette Hospital of Kunming Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Kunming, Calmette Hospital Kunming, No. 1228 Beijing Road, Panlong District, Kunming 650224, Yunnan Province, China. zhaox202304@sina.com
Received: March 5, 2024
Revised: April 18, 2024
Accepted: April 19, 2024
Published online: June 6, 2024
Processing time: 85 Days and 3.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Photoaging, a result of chronic sun exposure, leads to skin damage and pigmentation changes. Traditional treatments may have limitations in high-altitude areas like Yunnan Province. Intradermal Col Ι injections stimulate collagen production, potentially improving skin quality. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of this treatment for photoaging.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intradermal type Ι collagen (Col Ι) injection for treating photoaging.

METHODS

This prospective, self-controlled study investigated the impact of intradermal injections of Col Ι on skin photodamage in 20 patients from the Yunnan Province. Total six treatment sessions were conducted every 4 wk ± 3 d. Before and after each treatment, facial skin characteristics were quantified using a VISIA skin detector. Skin thickness data were assessed using the ultrasound probes of the Dermalab skin detector. The Face-Q scale was used for subjective evaluation of the treatment effect by the patients.

RESULTS

The skin thickness of the right cheek consistently increased after each treatment session compared with baseline. The skin thickness of the left cheek significantly increased after the third through sixth treatment sessions compared with baseline. The skin thickness of the right zygomatic region increased after the second to sixth treatment sessions, whereas that of the left zygomatic region showed a significant increase after the fourth through sixth treatment sessions. The skin thickness of both temporal regions significantly increased after the fifth and sixth treatment sessions compared with baseline (P < 0.05). These findings were also supported by skin ultrasound images. The feature count for the red areas and wrinkle feature count decreased following the treatment (P < 0.05). VISIA assessments also revealed a decrease in the red areas after treatment. The Face-Q-Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall and Face-Q-Satisfaction with Skin scores significantly increased after each treatment session. The overall appearance of the patients improved after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Intradermal Col Ι injection improves photoaging, with higher patient satisfaction and fewer adverse reactions, and could be an effective treatment method for populations residing in high-altitude areas.

Keywords: Photoaging; Type Ι collagen; Face-Q; High-altitude area; Skin photodamage; Patient satisfaction

Core Tip: Intradermal injections of type I collagen show promise in improving skin quality and treating photoaging in high-altitude regions like Yunnan. Using a negative pressure electronic injection device, the treatment enhances skin thickness, reduces redness and wrinkles, and leads to high patient satisfaction with minimal adverse effects. This approach addresses key manifestations of photoaging in high-altitude populations and could provide an effective, minimally invasive therapeutic option.