Calling all collagen

For all the talk about collagen, the primary structural protein of which we are made, there remains a fair amount of misinformation about it. Here’s a primer: The collagen molecule is composed of long coiled strands, or fibers, which interconnect and weave together to form the matrix of everything from skin to tendons. There are different types, such as elastin, which as the name implies contribute more to flexibility. And like all molecules in the body, collagen is continually broken down and replaced. However, with age and environmental damage, the new collagen has defects, which leads in turn to the visible signs of aging in the skin.

So the real question is how do we encourage new healthier collagen to form? There are several strategies, the primary one being prevention. This involves all the simple things like sunscreen. A healthy diet may be helpful, but only in a general sense. Consuming the tendons rather than the more tender portions of meat, a common practice in Japan, is unlikely to make a difference. Vitamin C is often touted, both in the diet and as an ingredient in skin creams. The logic is that since it is a co-factor for the enzyme that builds collagen (which is why the disease scurvy develops when it is absent from the diet), extra C builds better collagen. But while it is true that collagen can’t be adequately made if it is lacking, extra doesn’t drive the process any faster. The worst idea of all is collagen or elastin in skin creams; skin is a barrier to prevent large molecules like these from entering. So it’s like throwing bricks at a wall and expecting them to somehow be taken in and make the wall stronger.

There is hope though. One sure fire way to encourage new collagen is to recruit the body’s healing processes by essentially creating a controlled injury. This is how chemical peels and lasers work. Thermage functions this way too, and has the advantage of no downtime. And because it works by building new collagen, the results are long-lasting.