Face facts

YOU visit the dentist to get your teeth seen to, right? Think again. One York dentist is branching out: into the world of cosmetic treatment. Steven Holbrook plans to offer instant, injectable collagen therapy: a treatment that can, so it's claimed, knock years off your age in your lunch hour. It's probably not for the squeamish - it involves use of a syringe to inject collagen gel into your face to fill in wrinkles or give you that luscious-lipped pout - and it's not permanent. The effects will generally last anything between three to 12 months.

But if you're tired of those crow's feet, frown lines or grooves running from nose to mouth, it may be the treatment for you.

Collagen replacement therapy isn't new. It has been used in the United States for 25 years, and in some beauty clinics in Britain for about 20. The rich and famous, such as Patsy Kensit and Melanie Griffiths are believed to have been long clued up to the fact that if they're looking a little careworn, they don't need to go under the surgeon's knife for that facial overhaul. Now many of the rest of us may be about to catch up.

Among those keen to try out the rejuvenating effects of collagen is Josie, a 54-year-old chiropodist from Beverley. I catch up with her in Steven's dental surgery in Howard Street, York - where she's popped in, almost literally, in her lunch-time.

"I've had two patients this morning, and I'm going back this afternoon," she says, settling back in Steven's dentists' chair.

Josie is, she admits, still coming to terms with the fact her husband left her a year ago - but is determined to make a fresh start.

"I want to look the best I can for my age," she says. "This will be the new me."

But if you want beauty treatment, surely, you go to a beauty clinic, I say. Isn't it a little unusual to find a dentist working as a beautician?

Not really, insists Steven.

"Increasingly a lot of people are wanting cosmetic dentistry, but there are a lot of cases where we cannot really achieve the effect patients want through dentistry alone.

"They might say 'my teeth are looking great, but I'm beginning to notice these lines between my nose and mouth which I didn't notice before'. And they will want treatment to get rid of those wrinkles in and around the mouth."

It makes sense for a dentist to think about giving that treatment, says Steven.

A dentist is, after all, a highly-trained medical practitioner with a detailed knowledge of the structure of the human face. And he knows his patients.

Josie clearly knows and trusts Steven. Are you nervous? I ask her, as Steven prepares to inject collagen beneath the skin into the tiny frown lines on her forehead. She gives a little shake of the head. "I know I'm in good hands. I've been Steven's patient for ten years."

The treatment takes about 45 minutes. Steven injects collagen into the fine wrinkles in Josie's forehead, and the deeper lines around her mouth.

Treatment over, Josie's face looks noticeably smoother and fuller. There are a few tiny red pin-pricks where the needle was inserted: but those will soon go, says Wendy Rogers of Collagen Aesthetics UK, who is supervising Steven as he learns the new techniques.

Josie insists there was no pain, except at one point a tiny prick like a nettle sting.

"My face is definitely feeling a bit fuller," she says, "and a little bit tight."

Four days later, she's delighted with the effect. "The little pin-pricks have gone and there are no adverse effects at all!" she said. "This is absolutely the new me!"

Another of Steven's patients, 32-year-old Lorraine Kilner, is equally pleased with her new, fuller lips. Lorraine, a hair salon owner from York, said the effect was instant: and friends had already remarked on her new appearance. "I'll be going out on the town this weekend to show them off and put them to the test!" she said.

More information on collagen replacement therapy is available from the Collagen Aesthetics Website at www.skinrejuvenationtherapy.com. The site includes details of local practitioners.

To book an appointment at the Holbrook Dental Practice, call 01904 641167.

Collagen file

Collagen is a natural protein that occurs throughout the body and provides skin with texture and shape.

As you get older, the collagen in your body is naturally degraded: so the skin gradually begins to lose its fullness and elasticity, leading to wrinkles.

Collagen replacement therapy uses animal collagen from cattle to replace the lost collagen, effectively filling in the wrinkles resulting in smoother, firmer skin.

The collagen used comes from special, isolated herds in the United States: so there is no risk, manufacturers insist, of contracting CJD. It is 'CE Marked' for use in cosmetic treatment by the Department of Health.

Patients interested in undergoing collagen replacement therapy are given a skin test first followed by consultation, to ensure they will not suffer an unfavourable reaction. Some side effects, such as mild bruising or reddening, may occur.

Treatment can cost from £250 to £500 depending on the area of the face and number depth of wrinkles.