What Happens to Collagen in Your face as You Age

Everyone naturally develops wrinkles and loses the smooth appearance of youth as they age. Collagen loss is responsible for this gradual disappearance of glowing, youthful skin.

What is collagen- Collagen is a natural protein that functions as an adhesive to hold your body together and to provide strength and elasticity in your skin. Collagen is one of three majors components of the skin, the other two being Elastin and Glycosaminoglycans. As a supportive and structural protein, collagen strengthens the skin and is key to the healthy and youthful looking skin.

What happens as you age- As you age, collagen production simply slows down. After the age of 20, the body produces 1 percent less collagen in the skin every year. As a result, skin becomes thinner and more fragile with age. Eventually, it develops wrinkles as the collagen and elastin become less firmly connected. Skin cell growth also slows down, which means that dead cells do not shed themselves away quickly and the skin will become dull in color.

What can you do- While collagen loss is completely natural, there are still measures that you can take in order to slow down the loss of collagen and to steal back your youthful appearance.

Aging is not the sole determinant of collagen loss—some environmental factors, such as smoking and unprotected sun exposure contribute heavily to collagen loss and the formation of wrinkles. Tobacco smoke stimulates collagen destroying enzymes in the skin and can slow down the cells that produce collagen by as much as 40 percent.

Prevention is critical to mitigating the aging of your skin. Vigilant sun protection with clothing and sunscreen as well as anti-aging creams, such as those with Retinoids, will protect and strengthen your skin as it ages. Treatments including various facials, injections, peels, and lasers can also work wonders on aging skin and effectively return the glow of youth to your skin.

To learn more about our anti-aging products and treatments, or to schedule an appointment with an expert at North Scottsdale Laser & Skin Care Clinic, call (480) 513-2888, or book your appointment online.