by Collagen is trending. Regardless of how you get yours (bone broth, chicken feet, or a powder you sprinkle on your morning cup of tea), the theory is that the more you eat, the younger you’ll look. Except when it comes to skin, a hot plate of boiled bones will only get you so far. In fact, I would say that when it comes to increasing collagen, there are smarter ways to replenish the body’s main structural protein.
For young, smooth-skinned people, collagen is plentiful (hence the term babyface), but as we age, particularly when estrogen is depleted during the menopause transition, it’s harder to get. Drinking or eating it is one way, as is taking a supplement (marine collagen with added vitamin C is best), but how much your body absorbs is another matter. After all, it has to survive the digestive tract before the body can assimilate its uses.
“When you take collagen orally, you need to protect it from the digestive system, where it is broken down. A typical collagen supplement may contain 10 percent collagen peptides, but in liquid or powder form it is not known how much of that 10 percent reaches the bloodstream,” explains Pupinder Ghatora, pharmacist and founder of Ingenious Collagen.
“We use a bioavailable plant cellulose capsule that is not broken down by stomach acid, so although it contains a smaller amount of collagen peptides than an average supplement, 100% is absorbed into the bloodstream,” he says. “Once the body detects that elevated levels of collagen peptides are present, the body begins to produce more of its own collagen which, in our case, has been shown in randomized clinical trials to reduce fine lines and improve skin elasticity “.
Collagen synthesis also occurs when the body is threatened. When you rub your knee, for example, skin cells go on high alert and send signals to fibroblasts (the industrial cells that secrete collagen proteins) to trigger an emergency absorption of collagen to repair the wound and form scar tissue. .
What does this have to do with facial firmness? In fact, quite a few.
The same principle applies to certain facial treatments such as chemical peels or lasers which work by creating a controlled injury to trick the skin into repairing itself and in the process trigger collagen synthesis, naturally and powerfully.
In certain cases, such as with skin-stimulating injectables, collagen and elastin production is triggered by flooding the skin with proteins and growth factors that, again, stimulate the production of collagen and its cousin, elastin, the connective tissue. which gives the skin its elasticity. quality.
Whichever treatment you choose, if you’re looking for long-term healthy skin, these are the smartest ways to increase facial collagen naturally, without having to change your diet.
Radio frequency
Better for: skin tightening
The treatment of choice for Julianne Moore, who discussed its virtues in a Vogue beauty video earlier this year, radiofrequency tightens the skin by using a certain frequency of light to heat the lower levels of the skin, which causes the skin on the surface to contract.
While an initial glow is evident after one treatment, skin becomes tighter in the weeks that follow, courtesy of collagen and elastin production fueled by the body’s healing response. Ideal for recovering a loose jawline and neck, lifting the eye area or tightening wrinkled knees. One treatment will give results, but follow-up treatments are recommended every six to eighteen months.
Try Thermage FLX at Dr Rita Rakus’ Knightsbridge clinic, prices available on request
Ultrasound
Better for: Effects of face lifting
The ultrasound waves reach the deeper layers just above the muscle (known as the SMAS layer) that surgeons target. While methods have improved, as the ultrasound gets deeper, it can be painful and will require numbing cream about an hour beforehand. HIFU (high intensity frequency ultrasound) is faster and with less discomfort. Both act by stimulating the body’s regenerative pathways, promoting collagen production.
Try Ultherapy with Dr Costas Papageoriou at Harrods Wellness Clinic, from £4,400
microneedling
Better for: Melasma, acne scars, improved skin texture.
A series of microlesions are created using a sterile, stamp-like microneedle tool. Microneedling stimulates growth factors and establishes new capillaries, collagen and elastin while reorganizing old collagen fibers to improve skin texture. Minimally invasive, it is a classic treatment that takes advantage of the body’s own wound healing processes. Some redness will occur, but will usually disappear within 24 hours.
Try Microneedling at Dr David Jack, from £250
Plate Rich Plasma (PRP)
Better for: A healthy glow
PRP, or “vampire facial,” as it is known, is a curious procedure inspired by orthopedic medicine in which blood is drawn from the patient and then centrifuged in a centrifuge to purify and separate the plasma, which is then injected again on the surface. layers of skin. Dr. Barbara Sturm, the aesthetic doctor responsible for bringing this method to the masses, explains: “With the purified plasma rich in growth factors, fresh collagen is produced giving the skin a plump, juicy look and feel.”
Try the Medical Vampire Facial with Dr Marwa Ali, from £600
Three collagen-boosting facial creams
Skinceuticals EC Ferulic Vitamin C Antioxidant Serum
£165, skin products
Vitamin C, the go-to serum among dermatologists, has been shown to stimulate collagen production for brighter, firmer, more glowing skin. This is combined with vitamin E to reduce irritation.
Olay Collagen Peptide Moisturizing Cream 24 Days
£38, Tesco
This moisturizer stimulates collagen synthesis by providing the skin with bioavailable collagen peptides, the building blocks of proteins, at an affordable price.
Boots No7 Future Renew Damage Reversing Night Cream
€34.95, Boots
Help your skin repair itself while you sleep with this scientifically proven night cream containing a patent-pending peptide complex that supports the skin’s natural self-repair process.
