Boost That Collagen!

You hear lots of stuff in commercials about collagen this and collagen that, but I thought it’d be important to get at the real meat on the bone and talk about what collagen is and why it’s SO important. Collagen is a fibrous, protein found in the dermal layer of the skin along with elastin. In its ideal, youthful form collagen is densely packed and woven together keeping the skin supple and smooth.

As we age, collagen degrades and the spaces between the fibers gets larger and larger allowing for wrinkles to form in those spaces. Basically collagen provides the internal structure that keeps your skin looking plump and smooth, rather than saggy and wrinkled.

Years ago, doctors tried to apply collagen directly on the skin like a “spackle” to fill lines. But they soon found out that method was ineffective because it cannot penetrate through the skin’s barrier, which a product must do in order to be effective. Instead, researchers focused on skin-penetrating ingredients that could actually boost the collagen once absorbed.

Some of the most effective ingredients that promote collagen production are vitamin C and amino acids. At 360 Skin we work with (and promote) many products that are extremely effective for each persons specific skin needs in regard to collagen.

Another way to produce collagen is to strategically wound the skin. The body responds to this mild wounding by sending in collagen and elastin, plumping and firming the area. This can be performed via a dual modality treatment provided by your esthetician at 360 Skin (please let me know if you’re like to discuss this further).

Another quick and effective way to boost collagen that is favored by many physicians, is the use of hyaluronic acid that works in the lower layers of the skin to create more collagen and plump up the skin to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles.

This post was written by Brandon