As our bodies age, collagen production levels begin to decrease, leading to wrinkles, sagging skin, and weakened joints. Specific lifestyle habits such as consuming excessive sugars, alcohol use, and smoking all work to decrease your production levels. Collagen helps to give your skin structure and elasticity, which is critical as we age.
Can you supplement your way to healthier skin with collagen? Find out here!
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is an increasingly popular protein that is sold in almost all forms in today’s health and beauty markets. Sourced from the bones, cartilage, and skin of animals, you can easily find collagen protein sold in powder form, protein bars, gummies, and creams. While supplements are often created from cows, chickens, and fish, collagen isn’t just found in animals. Our bodies naturally produce collagen, and it’s the main component in our connective tissue. Collagen can be found in our bones, tendons, ligaments, hair, skin, organs, and muscles.
The human body produces collagen from amino acids, which we gain from protein-rich foods. Research has also indicated that other essential nutrients are involved with collagen production levels, including vitamins A and C.
Are Collagen Supplements the Secret to Anti-Aging?
Collagen is what makes your complexion firm, plump, and youthful. While there are undoubtedly other components, the collagen protein makes up 75 to 80 percent of your dermis. Collagen supplements utilize hydrolyzed collagen, which is collagen that has already been broken down into amino acids. These acids are easily absorbed into the bloodstream because they do not have first to be broken down by the stomach.
Collagen Benefits
Incorporating collagen supplements into your daily routine is simple and effortless. You can easily add a scoop of collagen into your favorite smoothie, yogurt, coffee, or juice Increasing your collagen levels can lead to many health benefits. Unfortunately, you usually have very little control over where your body decides to put things.
While it appears as though collagen supplements are promising and could potentially work, the evidence is far from reliable. Not ready to hop on the collagen supplement bandwagon quite yet? Specific skin care treatments can significantly increase your body’s natural collagen production levels, and provide you with these incredible benefits.
Skin Hydration
Dry skin is another common side effect of aging. Skin dryness can accentuate the look of fine lines and wrinkles. One of the reasons for increased dryness is often a lack of hyaluronic acid. This molecule called hyaluronic acid exists in your skin and works to keep moisture locked in. As we age, it tends to disappear on the outer levels of your skin, which leads to symptoms of dryness and increased lines and wrinkles.
Increased Skin Elasticity
You may begin to notice a lack of skin elasticity on your face, neck, chin, and hands as your body ages. Collagen can boost your skin’s elasticity significantly after regular treatments.
Smoother and Firmer Skin
Your skin will appear smoother and firmer with a healthy amount of collagen. As production levels start to slow with age, the skin begins to develop common signs of aging – wrinkles. Collagen treatments can help to smooth out the appearance of fine lines and make your skin appear youthful again.
Decreased Appearance of Cellulite
Cellulite most commonly appears on the thighs and buttocks and can give your skin a cottage cheese-like appearance. This dimpling is the result of abnormalities in the structure of fat and skin tissue that results in a bulge-like appearance under the skin. Cellulite affects approximately 80-90% of women. Collagen supplements do offer hope for reducing the appearance of cellulite. A 2015 study showed positive results after six months of collagen supplementation, and their findings showed a decrease in the appearance of cellulite.
If you’re in search of ways to improve your body’s natural collagen production levels and turn back the hands of time, schedule a consultation with Laser Aesthetic Center today!