Collagen is trending. However you get it (bone broth, chicken feet or via a powder you sprinkle into your morning cuppa), the theory is that the more you consume, the younger you'll look. Except when it comes to the skin, a warming bowl of cooked bones will only get you so far. In fact, I'd argue that when it comes to boosting collagen, there are smarter ways to replenish the body's key structural proteins.
For young people with smooth skin, collagen is in abundance (hence the term babyface), but as we get older, especially as estrogen declines during the transition to menopause, it is harder to come by. Drinking or eating is one way, as is taking a supplement (marine collagen with added vitamin C is best), but how much your body absorbs is another matter. After all, it must survive the digestive tract before your body can assimilate its use.
"When you take collagen orally, it needs to be protected from your digestive system, where it is broken down. A typical collagen supplement may contain 10 percent collagen peptides, but in liquid or powder form it is uncertain how much of that 10 percent enters the bloodstream," explains Pupinder Ghatora, pharmacist and founder of Ingenious Collagen.
"We use a bioavailable plant cellulose capsule that is not broken down by our stomach acid. Although it contains a smaller amount of collagen peptides than the average supplement, 100% of it is absorbed into the bloodstream," he says. "Once the body notices that increased levels of collagen peptides are present, the body begins to produce more of its own collagen, which in our case has been proven in randomized clinical trials to reduce fine lines and improve skin elasticity."
Collagen synthesis also occurs when the body is threatened. For example, when you scrape your knee, the skin cells go on high alert and send signals to the fibroblasts (the factory cells that secrete collagen proteins) to trigger an emergency uptake of collagen to repair the wound and form scar tissue.
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What does this have to do with facial firmness? A lot, actually.
The same principle applies to certain facial treatments, such as chemical peels or lasers, which work by creating a controlled injury to trick the skin into repairing itself, naturally and powerfully stimulating collagen synthesis.
In certain cases, such as with skin-strengthening injectables, collagen and elastin production is activated by flooding the skin with proteins and growth factors that, again, stimulate the production of collagen and its cousin, elastin, the connective tissue that gives skin its springy elasticity gives. quality.
Whichever treatment you choose, if you're looking for long-lasting skin fitness, these are the smarter ways to boost facial collagen naturally - without having to change your diet.
Radio frequency
Best for: Skin strengthening
The treatment favored by Julianne Moore, who spoke of its virtues in a Vogue beauty video earlier this year, is that radiofrequency tightens the skin by using a certain frequency of light to heat the lower levels of the skin, causing the surface skin to contract.
Although an initial glow is visible after one treatment, the skin tightens in the weeks that follow, thanks to the production of collagen and elastin, prompted by the body's healing response. Ideal for accentuating a sagging jawline and neck, lifting the eye contour or tightening wrinkled knees. One treatment produces results, but follow-up treatments every six to eighteen months are recommended.
Try Thermage FLX at Dr. Knightsbridge clinic. Rita Rakus, prices on request
Ultrasound
Best for: Facelift effects
Ultrasound waves reach the deepest layers just above the muscle (known as the SMAS layer) that surgeons focus on. Although methods have improved, because ultrasound scans are deep, they can be painful and require numbing cream an hour or so beforehand. HIFU (High Intensity Frequency Ultrasonic) is faster and less discomfort. Both work by stimulating the body's regenerative pathways and promoting collagen production.
Try Ultherapy with Dr. Costas Papageoriou at Harrods Wellness Clinic, from £4,400
Microneedling
Best for: Melasma, acne scars, improved skin texture
A series of micro-injuries are created using a sterile micro-needle instrument, somewhat like a punch. Microneedling stimulates growth factors and builds new capillaries, collagen and elastin, while reorganizing old collagen fibers for improved skin texture. Minimally invasive, it is a classic treatment that takes advantage of your body's wound healing processes. Some redness may occur, but this usually disappears within 24 hours.
Try Microneedling with Dr. David Jack, from £250
Plate-rich plasma (PRP)
Best for: A healthy glow
PRP, or the 'vampire facial', as it has become known, is a curious procedure inspired by orthopedic medicine, in which the patient's blood is drawn and then spun in a centrifuge to purify and separate the plasma, which is then injected back into the superficial area. skin layers. Dr. Barbara Sturm, the aesthetic doctor responsible for bringing this method to public attention, explains: "The purified plasma, which is rich in growth factors, produces fresh collagen, leaving the skin looking and feeling plump and juicy."
Try the Medical Vampire Facial with Dr. Marwa Ali, from £600
Three collagen-boosting facial creams
Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Vitamin C Antioxidant Serum
£165, Skinceuticals
Vitamin C, the gold standard serum among dermatologists, stimulates collagen production for brighter, firmer, and more radiant skin. This is combined with vitamin E for less irritation.
Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Day Cream Moisturizer
£38, Tesco
This moisturizer stimulates collagen synthesis by supplying the skin with bioavailable collagen peptides, the building blocks of proteins, at an affordable price.
Boots No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream
£34.95, Boots
Help your skin repair itself while you sleep with this scientifically proven night cream that contains a patent-pending peptide complex that supports the skin's natural self-healing process.