My previous article mentioned some of the ways you can boost collagen production in your skin to help fight aging and I thought I’d write more about collagen because there seems to be a lot of questions about how to help your skin build up its collagen supply. Because we all know the facts – as we age, we lose both collagen and elastin and the skin becomes susceptible to wrinkles and loss of volume which contributes to our faces looking older than they should.
The aging of the skin is based on a few factors, including photo damage by the harmful effects of the sun rays and decreasing available amounts of collagen and elastin as time goes by. Both of these factors lead to our skin aging.
What can help with collagen production is the use of the bioidentical hormone Estradiol applied to the skin. A study was done at the University of Michigan Medical School using postmenopausal women and andropausal men with the average age of 75. Estrdio was applied every day on skin near the hip and on the forearm (one area is usually unexposed to the sun and the forearm which usually has sun damaged skin due to lifetime exposure). The participants also applied a moisturizing cream which contained estradiol to the face twice a day for a two week time period. It was found that in the biopsy samples of skin removed from the test participants, It was found that there were increased levels of collagen and compounds that increase the production of collagen in the skin biopsies. It appears that the bioidentical hormone estradiol helps with the production of collagen. It is more than a coincidence that declining levels of hormones in men and women as they approach menopause and andropause also coincides with the decline of collagen production and results in the look of aging skin.
Vitamin C is another big booster to collagen production as well as highly beneficial to your overall health. However, I will not elaborate on the other health benefits of vitamin C here as we are here to discuss collagen. As a popular additive to many anti-aging skin care products, it plays a major role in collage production. Vitamin C interacts with amino acids in the collagen cells. By adding hydrogen and oxygen to the amino acids, Vitamin C helps with collagen production. By not taking vitamin C, not only are you negatively affecting your health, you will also be causing your levels of collagen production to decline. In your late 40s, you should be taking about 500 mg of vitamin C a day. On your 50th birthday, it may be time to start taking 1000 mg to help boost the rate at which your body makes collagen. Consult with your anti-aging doctor or naturopath to discuss the correct dosage of vitamin C for you to take.
Applying collagen as an ingredient in a skin cream will not help much because the problem with most anti-aging creams is that the collagen molecules are too large to penetrate the top layer of skin. Antiaging moisturizing creams do help keep the skin soft and moisturized, and help plump up the skin temporarily. I am not telling you to stop using a good moisturing cream at all. We are discussing things here that will help boost collagen production internally.
Key amino acids and copper peptides help to stimulate collagen synthesis. However, these must be used with the greatest care because over use can be dangerous. Again, I must emphasize that you work with an anti-aging doctor and/or naturopath to discuss the nutrients your diet might be missing and see what you can supplement with safely to enhance collagen production.
Other supplements which can help with boosting collagen production are Hyaluronic Acid and Genacol which has a highly concentrated amino acid base, can boost the production of collagen throughout the body when used on a regular basis. Not only does it improve the elasticity of the skin and help reduce the look of wrinkled, aging skin, it can reduce pain throughout the body, most specifically in swollen and tender joints resulting from injury. It can also increase the strength and endurance of the joints. It has also been recommended for fibromyalgia, arthritis, muscular and joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. You can buy Genacol online or at the local health food store.
Another way to boost collagen production is to use a cosmetic filler such as Restylane, or Artecoll or Perlane which actually helps stimulate collagen cells in the site of injection. These injections which fill wrinkles pushes up the indentation of the wrinkle and also promotes collagen. See my articles on Restylane, Artecoll and Botox to find out more.
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