Collagen is a prominent protein in the human body.  In addition to its obvious role in the skin, collagen is crucial for the health of your joints, bones, and muscles. Although age-related collagen loss is inevitable, the prospect of sagging skin and lines and wrinkles isn’t welcomed by all.

So, to what extent does collagen affect the structure of skin? What role does collagen play in aging? And how can you keep your collagen healthy and heal any damage?

Find all the answers to your burning collagen questions in this comprehensive guide.

Types of Collagen

Collagen comes in at least 28 different varieties. Collagen types can be distinguished by the way in which their molecules are organized, the addition of various cellular components, and the organs or tissues in your body that benefit from collagen.

These are the five most common forms of collagen:

• Type I: 90 percent of the collagen in your body is found in this form. Skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones all need Type I collagen for structural support.
• Type II: This form is typically associated with the elastic cartilage that lines the ends of bones in joints.
• Type III: Muscles, arteries, and internal organs all include type III.
• Type IV: This type is found deep within the epidermal layer of the skin.
• Type V: Eye corneas, some skin and hair layers, and placental tissue all contain type V collagen.

How collagen reverses the effects of aging

Collagen plays a huge role in maintaining and improving the skin’s elasticity. It has a plumping and smoothing effect on the skin, giving the impression of more youthful skin. From the time we reach early adulthood on, our collagen levels naturally decline by between 1% and 1.5%. Boosting collagen production in our body can stall this process and encourage the skin to become fuller and more supple.

How it improves skin strength

Your skin relies heavily on collagen. Collagen helps with skin’s suppleness, moisture, and resilience. Our body creates less of this protein as we get older, which can result in skin that is dry and more easily wrinkled.

But some studies suggest that collagen supplements or injections can help prevent the skin aging by decreasing wrinkles, dryness, and roughness. These injections, or cosmetic procedures involving collagen, can be effective because they trigger natural collagen production. Collagen supplements can also stimulate elastin and fibrillin production, two other proteins essential to the structural integrity of the skin.

How it reduces inflammation and pain in joints

The cartilage that lines our joints is made of collagen, which acts as a shock absorber for our bones. Stiffness and pain in older joints are caused by a combination of factors, including a loss of collagen in the joints, calcification, and other cartilage changes. A lack of collagen production also puts you at risk of osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative joint disorder.

During a 12-week study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, athletes who had knee pain were given either 5g of collagen peptides per day or a placebo. The collagen group experienced a reduction in knee discomfort during exercise, but their symptoms did not change while their knees were at rest.

How to preserve and boost collagen in your skin

Although age-related collagen loss is inevitable, there are ways to slow it down. If you want to keep your skin looking young, you need to keep your body’s natural collagen intact. Fortunately, there are several easy measures you may take to keep your collagen levels up:

Try to stay out of the sun

Sunlight is detrimental for skin because it dehydrates the skin’s protective layer, destroys cells, and degrades collagen and elastin. When these fibers weaken, it can be difficult for the skin to regain its flexibility and bounce. Always protect your skin from the sun by applying an SPF 30+ sunscreen and staying indoors during peak sun hours.

Limit your exposure to pollution

Collagen in your skin can be harmed by the pollutants you’re breathing. Air pollution leads to inflammation and the production of free radicals in the skin, both of which break collagen down and contribute to aging. When you’re in a high-pollution location, like a big city, keep your skin healthy by washing it often, exfoliating, and applying a sunblock and moisturizer.

Consider collagen-boosting skin treatments

Luckily, there are several kinds of skin treatments that focus on boosting collagen production so that the skin uses its natural abilities to rejuvenate itself. At Infuze Aesthetics & Wellness, we offer a wide variety of skin treatments that target collagen creation, such as the Morpheus8. This anti-aging treatment leaves you with softer, fuller, more youthful looking skin.

Get in touch with us if you want to get Morpheus 8 in Las Vegas or learn more about our skin rejuvenation treatments. All our aesthetic treatments are on appointment basis only.