{"id":10789,"date":"2021-04-14T10:44:30","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T17:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=10789"},"modified":"2023-08-25T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T21:34:17","slug":"ultimate-skincare-guide-boost-collagen-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/ultimate-skincare-guide-boost-collagen-production","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Collagen for Your Skin"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no shortage of companies out there claiming that their [insert supplement, topical, or skin-care device here] will help boost collagen production. It’s been proven that collagen levels have a direct correlation with the appearance of skin<\/a>, so it’s easy to believe that getting more of it, through whatever means possible, will be some sort of magic potion for perfect skin. It actually is pretty incredible, but it’s not some newly developed cure-all. Rather, collagen is one of the most basic building blocks of our bodies, found in the connective tissues, blood vessels, ligaments, and bones.<\/p>

What is collagen?<\/h2>

“Collagen is a protein, and proteins make up everything major in the body,” says Dr. Ranella Hirsch<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in Boston. “Collagen gives your skin its structure and framework, it’s involved in helping your blood clot—it’s really involved in everything, in one way or another.” Not only is collagen the most widespread protein we have in our whole body, but it also makes up 75–80% of skin<\/a>,  which means that it plays a leading role in keeping all the “scaffolding” in place in the dermal layer. Collagen helps with elasticity, plumpness, an overall youthful appearance, and joint health. According to Dr. Hirsch, collagen is produced in the body through a series of reactions—the result of digestive enzymes breaking down dietary proteins into amino acids—and plays an important role in connective tissue repair and the healing process. <\/p>

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What causes collagen loss?<\/h2>

“[Collagen loss] looks exactly like what you think aging looks like: sagging, jowling, droopiness, and loss of balance and vitality to your skin,” explains Dr. Hirsch. But why does collagen deplete over time? There are a number of reasons.<\/p>

“We are born with an abundance of collagen in our skin, but natural collagen production in our body begins to slow in our 20s and 30s. By then, collagen levels in our skin decrease by 1–2% per year,” says Dr. Kimberly Butterwick<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist in San Diego. “When this occurs, our skin’s structural integrity starts to diminish and manifests as fine lines and wrinkles and then progresses to sagging. Collagen thins out, and that weakens the inner structure of the skin.” The breakdown of collagen occurs at a faster rate than more of it can be produced, keeping us perpetually on the chase. (Menopause, especially, is a rough time for collagen synthesis—studies show<\/a> that women’s skin loses 30% of collagen in the first five years of menopause, then drops back down to a 2% loss in the years after.)<\/p>

Environmental factors and lifestyle choices can deplete collagen too. The biggest culprit in this category is sun damage<\/a> from too much sun exposure—which, Dr. Hirsch notes, “will break down collagen fast.” The same goes for smoking, pollution, and even diet (consuming excess sugar, for example, can impair healing). Basically, she adds, “anything we use antioxidants to protect from” can affect collagen levels. <\/p>

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