Younger Looking Skin & Collagen Production
You might not know it yet, but collagen is a goldmine of a skincare ingredient that can help keep your skin look young, plump, and wrinkle-free. When you think of “youthful skin” you’re likely thinking of skin that’s abundant in collagen. Read on to find out the many ways you can contribute to your body’s collagen production.
How to stimulate collagen production in the skin?
Collagen is a protein produced by our cells that helps “hold” the skin together, keeping it looking younger and giving it elasticity and firmness. It makes up a great deal of our skin tissue – 75 percent, to be exact. Collagen is found in the skin, bones, muscles, blood vessels, and even teeth.
As part of the aging process, the skin’s natural collagen breaks down resulting in the loss of facial volume.
You’ve probably already seen evidence of this collagen breakdown. Maybe the frown lines between your eyebrows are becoming deeper? Perhaps you’ve noticed a few more fine lines popping up around the eyes? The face begins to look tired, angry, or sad even when you are in a fantastic mood. This decrease in collagen through the years leaves us with sagging skin, wrinkles, and a lack of firmness.
What causes the breakdown of collagen?
Intrinsic Aging: a decrease in collagen is the result of “intrinsic aging.” Growing old is an internal factor that causes collagen breakdown.
Oxidative damage to collagen: collagen is a good target for oxygen-free radicals, so the more you expose your body to oxygen-free radicals, the more you endanger your body’s natural collagen production.
These are external factors that cause collagen breakdown and can be anything from air pollution to smoking or even a diet with refined added sugars. The UV rays from sun exposure are another form of oxygen-free radicals. UVA and UVB rays are responsible for 90 percent of the symptoms of premature skin aging. Yet despite this, more than a third of adults still choose to sunbathe without the necessary protection.
5 Ways to Boost Collagen Production
So, the bad news is that collagen production slows down, and your existing collagen breaks down. Luckily, there are ways to preserve your collagen and even increase the amount of collagen in your body. Dr. Tahsini from Skin Works Medical in Los Angeles shares with you the top 5 ways you can boost collagen production.
1. Up your vitamin C intake
Vitamin C is a heavy-weight antioxidant. It is an anti-aging superstar that delays the signs of aging by fighting free radical damage. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of clinical nutrition found that middle-aged women who consumed more Vitamin C in their diet appeared to have fewer wrinkles than those who consumed lower levels.
“Vitamin C is key to the formation of collagen – It can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged,” says Dr. Tahsini.
If you’re looking to add vitamin C into your skincare routine, the beloved celebrity Doctor notes that a serum is the best way in which to do so. “A vitamin C serum will be most effective in delivering to the cellular level”, he says.
2. Be Sun Safe
Sun exposure is the number-one skin-ager. Every minute you spend sunbathing is slowly unraveling your collagen fibers. This translates to sagging skin, wrinkles, and fine lines. Excessive sun exposure also adds skin discoloration. It’s like throwing your finest cashmere sweater in the dryer on high heat. Protect your skin from the sun by using sunscreen with a high SPF!
Dr. Tahsini recommends a Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 to reduce the aging of the skin caused by sun damage.
3. Some Foods Boost Collagen Production in Skin
Some foods do boost collagen production! Have a healthy meal that includes foods containing omega fatty acids and antioxidants, and eliminate all refined sugar. Refined added sugar makes your skin age more rapidly. To retain your skin’s glow increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
4. Exfoliate & Help Your Skin Produce More Collagen
Exfoliation helps speed up the natural process of skin and collagen renewal. Most beauty doctors recommend an antioxidant-rich exfoliating body lotion. The lotion will penetrate deeply to exfoliate, brighten, and moisturize your skin for an evener skin tone. Make sure to check the products with your doctor before spending money on something that may not work on your skin.
5. Get Boost Collagen Treatments
Although a healthy lifestyle will slow down aging, it isn’t enough to knock a few years off your face.
With a skillful combination of anti-aging treatments, you can avoid surgery with procedures like microneedling. Microneedling is a collagen induction treatment that boosts collagen to make your skin look younger, evens out skin texture, and makes you look more radiant. In many cases, radiofrequency technology is used along with microneedling to create more radical results.
Furthermore, fillers like Radiesse are collagen-stimulating dermal fillers that not only lift the skin and replace lost volume but also improve skin quality in the long run.
How Does Radiesse Work?
Radiesse is a volumizing filler used to plump up moderate to severe facial wrinkles and to restore lost volume, such as the nasolabial folds and the cheeks. However, it is so much more than just a volumizing filler. Radiesse works by stimulating your body to produce collagen.
It is the first and only FDA-approved dermal filler for both face and hands. To date, it is the only dermal filler that cosmetic doctors use to rejuvenate the hands. Just one Radiesse injection provides instant lift and stimulates your body’s own collagen production for a result that looks natural and will last for at least 12 months and up to 18 months.
Radiesse’s 2-Step Process
1- In the short term, Radiesse creates a supportive structure beneath the skin to restore depleted volume.
2- In the long term, Radiesse boosts the body’s natural production of collagen, which is the protein responsible for hydrating the skin, and for keeping the skin looking soft and full.
A decent medical spa or beauty clinic should be able to offer you Radiesse® and Radiesse® (+). Radiesse® (+) contains a local anesthetic (Lidocaine) which helps to lessen the pain when doing the injection.
Laser Treatments To Boost Collagen Production in Hands
In recent years the use of different laser beams such as Erbium and Fractional CO2 on hands has gained more popularity. Remember that it’s only your doctor who can decide which treatments work best for you. Always do your research, and talk to your provider to find out what works best for you.
Read More Like This:
Boost Your Body’s Immunity: 7 Benefits of Vitamin Therapy
V Drips & Vitamin Therapy – A Practical Guide