As we age, our skin produces 1% less collagen each year. This happens because there is less blood flow to the skin and because the cells in our connective tissues become less efficient at generating the peptides and amino acids that make collagen. Without sufficient collagen production, our skin can start to wrinkle and sag.
The good news is that there are ways to restore collagen in your skin and hinder the rate at which collagen is lost to preserve a youthful, uplifted appearance in your skin.
1. Treatments to Build New Collagen
Non-invasive treatments such as Ultrasound Skin Tightening or Fraxel use different types of energy to induce heat in the deeper layers of the skin. Heat causes the collagen fibres to contract, and it stimulates the production of new collagen. This can help lift sagging skin and reduce fine lines. Which treatment you should use will depend on a few factors, such as skin type and the nature of you skin’s condition.
2. Take Collagen Pills or Supplements
The medical community is somewhat divided on this one. The research looks legitimate, but it was also almost entirely funded by the collagen supplement industry, so not everyone in the medical community is quite convinced. Some will argue that you produce less collagen because your cells become less efficient at generating peptides and amino acids, not necessarily because of a deficiency.
That being said, a growing number of studies are finding evidence that supplements containing hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides can repair collagen fibres and even increase collagen. .
Overall, the evidence says that collagen supplements can work, but there is not enough third-party evidence for collagen supplements to be widely recognised by the medical community. If you want to try the supplements for yourself, look for hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides, and speak to a health professional to ensure you don’t have any contraindications.
3. Eat Your Vitamins
A nutritional diet is essential for building collagen and keeping skin healthy. Vitamin C, specifically, helps your body absorb nutrients and helps with cell synthesis. Vitamin A also helps your skin renew and rebuild, so make sure you’re getting enough of both.
Eat plenty of citrus fruits, carrots and leafy greens. If you take a supplement, be cautious with Vitamin A because it’s not water-soluble, so too much of it can be detrimental.
4. Apply Your Vitamins
The link between healthy eating and clear skin has been well known for a long time, but you have to do more than just eating vitamin-rich foods. When you ingest nutrients, your body sends them to where you need them most, and that may not always be your skin.
The good news is that your skin can absorb the vitamins it needs when they’re applied topically. Vitamin C is essential for healthy cell function and Vitamin A has been found to stimulate collagen-producing cells (known as fibroblasts) when applied to skin. We love Rejuvaus Repair & Refine ABC Serum because it has vitamin A, vitamin C and soothing vitamin B formulated safely in one serum.
You can also apply serums with collagen peptides as they will help promote the generation of new collagen in your skin.
5. Exercise
Exercise promotes a repair response in your tissues, which also involves collagen stimulation!
Exercise also improves circulation, which means more blood can flow to your skin, carrying more nutrients to the fibroblast cells, which will help them to regenerate and repair.
This gives us another great reason to hit the gym (because sometimes heart health, strength and fat-reduction just aren’t enough to get us off the couch – we want visible results!).
When you visit our Clinic for a complimentary consultation, our expert Clinicians will discuss treatments options, skin care, diet and supplements to help you look and feel your best, inside and out.
