June 10, 2001 -- Many women would love lips as full and pouty as the latest ''it'' girl, Angelina Jolie, but some fear that there may be a price to pay: Drew Barrymore’s mother, Jaid, recently told the New York Daily News that she halted her collagen injections because she was scared of contracting mad-cow disease. But according to top doctors, this fear is unfounded.

With the outbreak of mad cow and foot-and-mouth disease overseas, do potential patients of wildly popular bovine-based injectibles, such as collagen, have reason to be concerned?

“No. Foot-and-mouth disease is killed in processing. The virus that causes foot-and-mouth is susceptible to traditional disinfecting methods, like heat and pasteurization,” says Dr. Kenneth Howe, MD, of Wexler Dermatology in New York City.

"There are many precautions taken and these products (collagen injections) are put through numerous inactivation steps to eliminate the possibility of transmitting a virus like foot-and-mouth," says Patricia Wexler, MD, also of Wexler Dermatology in Manhattan.

Adds Brian Kinney MD, spokesperson for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at University of California at Los Angeles, "There have been no instances of foot-and-mouth disease in the US and so there really isn’t a chance of contracting that disease from a collagen injection. Theoretically, it could happen. But there are no reportable cases."

Besides, foot-and-mouth isn’t really a problem in humans. It’s a minor nuisance that causes mild symptoms like blisters on the hands.

"Patients don’t even notice they have blisters in their mouths until their doctors find them," says Dr. Howe. "It’s that mild."

Mad cow fear
Dr. Howe adds that he is as certain that collagen will not infect people with the dreaded mad cow disease.

1 2 3 4 5 6 next >>

Some of the links that appear in this article may have been sponsored by a third-party for commercial purposes.

This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.