You may have heard the word “collagen” before when shopping for products, supplements, or reading about skincare. While it can be found in most parts of the body, it plays a particularly important role in the structure and elasticity of your skin. Although you can buy it in supplement and powder form, your body naturally produces it on its own. However, things like stress, aging, and inflammation can cause collagen production in the body to reduce. Low collagen levels reduce your skin’s natural bounce and glow, which can ultimately lead to dullness and fine lines. Making sure you are producing enough collagen internally is one way to get natural and healthy looking skin. We asked Dr. Christopher Zachary, Professor & Chair Emeritus, Dermatology, UCI School of Medicine.School of Medicine, what tip he recommends for improving your collagen levels naturally.
First of all, what exactly is collagen and how does it work in the body? “Collagen is a protein present in most organs of the body. In the skin it provides structure and toughness which, together with elastin, is responsible for skin resilience and elasticity,” he says, “Collagen is an important component of wound healing, a highly regulated mechanism; too much and it might keloid, too little and the skin will appear atrophic (thinned).”
Collagen is quite literally the protein that holds our skin together—if you want a bouncy, glowing appearance, having healthy collagen levels is crucial. “There are genetic diseases where the body is unable to create normal collagen. In these cases, such as epidermolysis bullosa, the skin can actually slough off leaving denuded arms, legs, and buttocks,” Dr. Zachary says, “Collagen is not only essential for life, it is also important for a healthy appearance. Thinned collagen is generally related to chronic sun exposure and will appear leathery, blotchy, and wrinkled.”
As stated previously, not taking proper precautions when spending time in the sun is one of the biggest causes of decreased collagen. As you always hear, making sure to wear sunscreen daily (especially when you’re spending a lot of time outside) is an important step in keeping youthful, glowing skin in the long term. There are also many procedures you can have done by a dermatologist to encourage collagen production, like chemical peels and laser skin rejuvenation. If you are interested in having a more intense procedure done, consult with a dermatologist to see if this is the right choice for you.
With that being said, dermatological procedures are costly and typically not covered by insurance. So, what’s one tip you can try at home that will give you results at a reasonable cost? “Most of us can boost the amount of collagen by applying a retinoid cream to the skin on a routine basis.” You may have heard of retinol before, often hailed as the miracle compound for anti-aging. It does this by encouraging natural exfoliating the skin, and therefore allowing healthy, fresh cells to grow. There are lots of retinol based products on the market—however, like any product, you should look into proper usage. Retinol can make your skin sensitive to the sun, so it is important to use it at night only to get the most benefit.
