--- title: "Collagen Boost" --- Collagen is the scaffolding under your skin. It is what makes skin snap back instead of crease, and you lose it steadily from your twenties on, faster in the places the sun got to. Filler puts volume back where volume went missing. It does not make thin skin thick again. Only new collagen does that. All three treatments on this page ask your body for new collagen, from three different directions. A heavily diluted skin wash spreads a signal across a wide area and improves overall quality. [PRF](/treatments/platelet-rich-fibrin-prf/)) uses a concentrate made from your own blood. Dissolving threads hold tissue up and leave collagen along their path as they disappear. Same destination, three roads, and which one suits you depends on what actually changed. The trade is the same with all three. Nothing much shows the same day. What arrives over the following months reads as better skin rather than as work, because it is your own tissue. **What Collagen Boost is good at** - Improving crepey, thin skin across the neck, chest, arms and backs of the hands - Firming early looseness along the jaw and cheeks without surgery - Softening fine lines from underneath instead of filling them in - Restoring some support where tissue has started to drop, using threads - Improving under-eye quality and scalp health, where PRF is the right road - Building a result that keeps looking like you, because your body made it Most practices in this market sell one collagen-stimulating treatment and everyone who walks in gets it. Here is the actual decision, written out, so you can see where you land before you book. If this is what changedThe road isWhyCrepey, thin, dull skin over a wide area: neck, chest, arms, backs of the handsThe diluted skin washIt spreads a thin signal across a large area rather than adding volume in one spot, so it improves quality where there is nothing to fillYou want your own material used, and the under-eyes or scalp are part of the picturePRFIt is made from your own blood at your appointment, and it is the one that goes comfortably into delicate areasTissue has started to drop and you want support, not just textureDissolving threadsThey physically hold tissue and leave collagen along their path as they dissolve, which nothing injected can doPitted acne scars and rough textureNot this pageRF microneedling reaches scarring better than any of these threeSkin that has gone past holding upNot this page eitherThat is a surgical conversation and we will say so Plenty of people end up doing two of these in sequence rather than choosing one. That is a plan, not an upsell, and you will get it costed in full before anything is booked. ![Woman in black top looking left](https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/cd-collagen-boost.webp) A practice that owns one of these recommends it to everybody. Having all three means the recommendation follows what is on your face rather than what is in the cupboard, and sometimes the honest answer is none of them. A [chemical peel](/treatments/chemical-peels/), a course of [RF microneedling](/treatments/potenza-rf-microneedling/), or simply the right products at home can be a better use of your money, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a course. It also matters that a board-certified dermatology practice is doing it. The diluted skin wash is a calcium-based material and it cannot be dissolved the way a water-based filler can, so it is placed carefully and slowly by someone who knows exactly where it is going. [1] Threads go into layers where knowing the anatomy is not optional. And when [loose skin](/conditions/sagging-skin/) has gone past what any of this reaches, we will tell you that too, because that is a conversation with a surgeon rather than a course of treatment here. **Collagen Boost is probably a good fit if:** - Your skin has gone thin, crepey or dull and products are not touching it - You want firmer skin without surgery and without looking filled - You would rather build a result over three months than chase a quick one - You are willing to do a short course and keep it up over time - You like the idea of a result made from your own tissue **We will steer you somewhere else if:** - What is actually bothering you is lost volume, which is a filler conversation - Your main concern is pitted acne scarring, where RF microneedling reaches further - Your skin is infected or inflamed in the area right now, which needs settling first - You have a condition or medication that slows healing - What you want is a lift, which is surgery and not this Not sure which of those you are? That is what the consultation is for, and it is why we do not sell any of these over the phone. Expect some swelling, tenderness and possibly a little bruising at the treated spots. With the skin wash and PRF most people look normal within a day or two. With threads, expect a pulling or tight feeling for several days and a few days of looking slightly different before everything settles. **In the first week, do** - Keep the area clean and leave it alone - Sleep on your back for the first few nights after threads - Wear sunscreen every day, because UV is what took the collagen in the first place - Tell us about anything that feels wrong rather than waiting for your follow-up **In the first week, don't** - Massage, press or work on the treated area unless we tell you to - Book a facial, a peel or dental work in the days right after - Do heavy exercise or anything that overheats you until we clear you - Expect to see the result yet Call us immediately about unusual pain, skin that turns white, dusky or blotchy, vision changes or any sign of infection. We would far rather hear from you. Collagen Boost works on skin quality and support rather than volume. Pick a concern to see how we approach it. The price follows which of the three you take, how much area we are covering and how many visits it needs. All three are treatments where more than one visit is normal, so a single-session price is a misleading number and we do not lead with one. You get an estimate across the whole plan before anything is booked, including what keeping it up looks like over a year. We do not discount our way into a treatment, and if a cheaper option would serve you better that is the one you will be offered. **Q: What is the diluted skin wash?** It starts as a filler, a gel carrying tiny particles of a calcium-based mineral, the same kind your bones are made of. At full strength it adds volume in one place. Watered right down it spreads thinly across a wide area and works as a nudge for your own collagen instead. Same product, different job, different dilution. **Q: Can it be dissolved?** No. Water-based fillers have a dissolving injection and this one does not. That is a real difference, and it is why it goes in slowly and conservatively here. [1] **Q: Is the Fibrin Collagen Boost the same as PRF?** Yes. It is PRF), platelet-rich fibrin, which has its own page here covering the face, the under-eyes and the scalp. Fibrin Collagen Boost is just the name this practice has used for it over the years. It is not PRP, which is a different preparation. **Q: Are dissolving threads a facelift?** No, and anyone selling them that way is overselling. They hold tissue up and leave new collagen along their path as they dissolve. They do not remove anything and they do not do what surgery does. What they can do is hold and improve for a reported 12 to 15 months. **Q: How many visits will I need?** More than one is normal with all three, and how many depends on the area and how you respond. You get a plan and a price for the whole course up front rather than one visit and a wait and see. **Q: When will I see something?** First signs at about four weeks, the real thing at three to four months. That is the trade these treatments ask you to make: nothing the same day, and something that looks like your own skin later. 1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers)." Calcium-based fillers cannot be dissolved the way hyaluronic acid fillers can; supports the warning signs in the footer note. [https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/aesthetic-cosmetic-devices/dermal-fillers-soft-tissue-fillers](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/aesthetic-cosmetic-devices/dermal-fillers-soft-tissue-fillers) · Regulatory 2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Surgical Sutures: Class II Special Controls Guidance Document for Industry and FDA Staff." Absorbable surgical suture is a long-established regulated device class; supports the description of the thread material. [https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products/surgical-sutures-class-ii-special-controls-guidance-document-industry-and-fda-staff](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/guidance-documents-medical-devices-and-radiation-emitting-products/surgical-sutures-class-ii-special-controls-guidance-document-industry-and-fda-staff) · Regulatory 3. American Academy of Dermatology Association. "How to select a sunscreen." Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, water resistant. [https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/how-to-select-sunscreen](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/how-to-select-sunscreen) · Medical Organization Content on this page is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Radiesse® and NovaThreads® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Swelling, bruising, tenderness, firmness and small lumps at the treated site are common and usually settle. With threads, a pulling or tight feeling for several days is expected, and puckering, thread migration, visible thread ends and infection are recognized risks. The FDA notes that filler injected into a blood vessel is rare but can block blood flow and cause skin loss, sores or, very rarely, blindness or a stroke. Calcium-based fillers cannot be dissolved. Call us immediately about unusual pain, skin that turns white, dusky or blotchy, vision changes or signs of infection. These treatments are not suitable where the skin is infected or inflamed, and your medications and medical history are reviewed first. Individual results may vary. Cosmetic consultations are $125, paid at booking and credited toward the cost of treatment. ```ld+json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/#service", "name": "Collagen Boost", "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/", "description": "Collagen Boost is our name for three treatments that do the same job in different ways. Instead of filling a space, they get your own skin building new collagen. There is a heavily diluted skin wash for overall quality across a wide area, PRF made fr…", "provider": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics" }, "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/collagen-boost-1-1024x503.png", "width": 1024, "height": 503, "caption": "Woman with brown hair touching her face" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/#webpage", "name": "Collagen Boost", "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/#service" }, "lastReviewed": "2026-08-01", "reviewedBy": { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/providers/dr-christine-kilcline/#provider", "name": "Dr. Christine Kilcline", "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/providers/dr-christine-kilcline/" }, "mentions": [ { "@type": "Substance", "name": "Collagen", "sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26868" } ], "about": [ { "@type": "MedicalSpecialty", "name": "Dermatology", "sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171171" } ], "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ ".geo-summary" ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Home" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Treatments", "item": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/", "@type": "CollectionPage", "name": "Treatments" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Collagen Boost", "item": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Question", "name": "Collagen Boost", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Collagen Boost is the practice's name for three treatments that prompt the skin to build its own collagen: a heavily diluted injectable skin wash, PRF made from the patient's own blood, and dissolving threads. Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics offers all three at its San Luis Obispo office. Results begin at about four weeks and peak around four months." }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/#webpage" }, "url": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/treatments/collagen-boost/" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Review", "reviewBody": "Services are prompt, friendly, professional and most of all comfortable...it was an extraordinary experience.", "itemReviewed": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://coastaldermaesthetics.com/#organization", "name": "Coastal Dermatology + Aesthetics" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kathleen W." }, "reviewRating": { "@type": "Rating", "ratingValue": 5, "bestRating": 5 } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the diluted skin wash?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

It starts as a filler, a gel carrying tiny particles of a calcium-based mineral, the same kind your bones are made of. At full strength it adds volume in one place. Watered right down it spreads thinly across a wide area and works as a nudge for your own collagen instead. Same product, different job, different dilution.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can it be dissolved?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

No. Water-based fillers have a dissolving injection and this one does not. That is a real difference, and it is why it goes in slowly and conservatively here. [1]

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the Fibrin Collagen Boost the same as PRF?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

Yes. It is PRF), platelet-rich fibrin, which has its own page here covering the face, the under-eyes and the scalp. Fibrin Collagen Boost is just the name this practice has used for it over the years. It is not PRP, which is a different preparation.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are dissolving threads a facelift?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

No, and anyone selling them that way is overselling. They hold tissue up and leave new collagen along their path as they dissolve. They do not remove anything and they do not do what surgery does. What they can do is hold and improve for a reported 12 to 15 months.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many visits will I need?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

More than one is normal with all three, and how many depends on the area and how you respond. You get a plan and a price for the whole course up front rather than one visit and a wait and see.

" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When will I see something?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

First signs at about four weeks, the real thing at three to four months. That is the trade these treatments ask you to make: nothing the same day, and something that looks like your own skin later.

" } } ] } ] } ```