You’ve heard it said by health experts, beauty gurus, your mom and and probably your next door neighbor. Collagen is the buzzword on everyone’s lips, and it can now be found in just about everything — from creams and cosmetics, to powders and pills. but few people know exactly what it means or what it can do for your body.
We asked Dr. Lehavit Akerman, leading Dermatologist Specialist to answer a few key questions to help explain what role collagen plays in our skin and aging process and what we can do to boost our collagen at home.
1. What role does collagen play in our skin?
Collagen is actually a protein that is found everywhere in our bodies – but when it comes to your skin, what’s important to understand is that collagen fibers are like a bunch of sturdy, Roman columns placed close together, holding up the top layer of skin. When you’re young and healthy, the columns are strong, straight, and plentiful, so skin looks smooth. That’s because your skin contains collagen-making machines called fibroblasts that churn out new collagen.
2. What causes collagen to deplete in our bodies?
The good news is that your body produces it on a regular basis. But, it does slow down with age. After the age of 30, we lose about 1 percent of our collagen each year. As a result, the skin becomes thinner and more lines and wrinkles appear.
Other lifestyle habits that can bring collagen production to a screeching halt include smoking, sun exposure, and an unhealthy diet. Some health conditions may also deplete your collagen storage. And without this important building block, you may start to see wrinkles and sagging skin.
3. What happens to your collagen during menopause?
Menopause causes many changes to your skin. Your body stops making as much collagen. You lose some fat under your skin and your skin’s elasticity drops. That, combined with dryness caused by hormonal changes, can cause sagging — especially around the neck, jawline, and cheeks — and fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Will taking collagen supplements or using creams and serums with collagen help my skin?
Short answer: No. There is no scientific proof that ingesting extra collagen supplements or eating foods higher in collagen levels will improve your skin. Collagen is a protein, and breaks down during digestion, and has little to effect on your skin. This basically means you can not eat collagen to build collagen.
As for topical collagen based creams and serums, most likely they will not boost your collagen levels but they can help keep your skin moisturized. Truth is, collagen molecules are simply too large to penetrate the skin. They can help moisturize your skin but they will not help build or replace collagen. The active ingredients will just sit on top of your skin.
5. Is it possible to rebuild collagen?
YES!
With NEWA you can finally treat the main cause of wrinkles– collagen loss. The NEWA Skin Tightening System is an at home anti-aging skincare device powered by unique, FDA cleared 3DEEP radiofrequency technology. The same technology used to power the professional ENDYMED aesthetic treatment platforms we use at our clinic.
Unlike other technologies that work on the surface of the skin, NEWA sends energy deep into the dermis, deeper than any other home use device available today. This energy heats up the dermis to the point where it stimulates the production of new collagen, which reduces wrinkles, lifts and tightens the skin.
Bottom line, collagen is widely considered the main culprit when it comes to wrinkles. Teaching your body to produce more collagen with the NEWA treatments is an effective way to rejuvenate your skin, boost your collagen, and slow down the aging process, and the earlier you start – the better!
