What is collagen and how to prevent losing it?

What is collagen?

Collagen is a type of protein. In Fact, it is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is a tough, insoluble, fibrous protein. Its fiber-like structure is used to make connective tissue. Like the name implies, this type of tissue connects other tissues and is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. It helps to make tissues strong and resilient, able to withstand stretching. 

There are 28 known types of collagen, with type I collagen accounting for 90% of the collagen in the human body.

Collagen is composed mainly of the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These amino acids form three strands, which make up the triple-helix structure characteristic of collagen.

It provides structural support to tissues and plays important roles in cellular processes, including 

• tissue repair

• immune response

• cellular communication

• cellular migration, a process necessary for tissue maintenance

Factors in collagen loss

Connective tissue cells called fibroblasts produce and maintain collagen. In the skin, collagen provides strength and elasticity. As people get older, their collagen levels fall, and collagen fibers become thinner and fragmented, fibroblast function becomes impaired and collagen production slows. This tends to happen around the young age of 25.

These changes, along with the loss of another key structural protein called elastin, lead to signs of aging such as sagging skin and wrinkles. The integrity of the collagen found in the skeletal system decreases with age as well, leading to reductions in bone strength.

While collagen loss and damage as you age are inevitable, certain dietary and lifestyle factors can accelerate this process.

The most common factors are:

• smoking cigarettes

• Excessive drinking 

• Additionally, following a diet high in added sugar and ultra-processed foods can lead to premature aging 

• Excessive sun exposure 

With aging, collagen in the deep skin layers changes from a tightly organized network of fibers to an unorganized maze. Environmental exposures can damage collagen fibers reducing their thickness and strength, leading to wrinkles on the skin’s surface.

So it seems we are dependent on a healthy diet for healthy collagen, even though the skin is last in line compared to our life saving organs.

What can be done to stimulate collagen production?

Your skin  processes collagen due to trauma and wound healing. This is why collagen regeneration treatments are important and can rebuild new tissue and remodel collagen type III into strong collagen I.

Microneedling takes advantage of the skin’s self-repair process by creating thousands of precise micro-injuries to the dermis. This triggers new collagen synthesis without causing new scar tissue formation. This minimally invasive treatment stimulates your skin’s natural ability to repair itself and maximizes collagen and elastin production.

We will be using SkinPen as our microneedling device, as it is the only FDA approved microneedling pen available in the UK. SkinPen is proven to provide safe and effective treatments that guarantee amazing results.