Collagen is good for you, you’ve heard. But what is this treatment all about, and how does it get into my body? Is it the source of beauty and youth?
Today, Awaken Aesthetics will tell you what collagen is, how to get more of it, and if collagen powders or supplements are worth the money. Check out this article to know whether a collagen stimulator is for you!
What’s Collagen?
Collagen is a protein that makes up your skin, tendons, ligaments, bone, and cartilage. Because collagen makes up one-third of your body’s protein, its unique properties significantly affect your health and how long you live.
Collagen increases and produces more with the help of collagen stimulators. So, what are these?
Collagen Stimulators
Every year after our 20s, our skin makes 1% less collagen. This makes our faces look thinner, with hollow cheeks, deep lines and wrinkles (like laugh lines), and hollow spots under our eyes.
Biostimulators are used on the face, neck, upper arms, decolletage, abdomen, knees, thighs, and buttocks. This treatment makes the body make more collagen, which gives the skin a natural, youthful look and makes people live longer.
Biostimulation therapy helps your body make new collagen, which gives your face a fresh look. At Awaken Aesthetics, we sell Sculptra and Radiesse. This treatment uses a mixture of proteins that help the body’s growth factors work better.
This solution connects to tissues at the molecular level, and the skin grows back. This gives the face a fuller look, makes wrinkles less noticeable, and gives the skin a natural glow. Treatments that use biostimulants will provide you with slow but long-lasting results.
But we’ll tell you more about that later and see how your body makes up this collagen first.
How Your Body Makes Collagen
When you know how collagen is made, you can find ways to get more of it. Collagen is made by cells in connective tissue. It is secreted by these cells and makes up the structure of the extracellular matrix.
The extracellular matrix is like the scaffolding in all your organs and tissues, like the lining of your gut and skin. It affects how a tissue looks and works. The middle layer of your skin, called the dermis, is part of this.
Collagen helps make fibroblasts, which help new skin cells grow and replace old ones dying. This is why people talk a lot about collagen for skin health.
So, What Makes Less Collagen When We Get Older?
As we age, our bodies have a more challenging time making collagen, so the amount of collagen we make goes down—things like sun exposure, stress, drinking, smoking, and environmental pollution speed up this decline.
By age 60, collagen production has dropped by a lot. There are vital factors that can help you increase your collagen production like the following:
Collagen Supplements
People take collagen supplements to improve the health of their joints and skin. Most expert says that taking hydrolyzed collagen supplements for 90 days can reduce wrinkles, make skin more elastic, and keep it moist.
Also, the authors of a 2020 review found that the collagen peptides in supplements directly affect the fibroblasts, which are collagen structures in the body.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a chemical that helps the body make more collagen. In a study done in 2014, researchers used either water or hyaluronic acid to treat wounds in mice.
Wounds that were treated with hyaluronic acid got better faster than those that were just given water. Also, more than two types of collagen were in the skin near the wounds.
Hyaluronic acid is often found in dermal fillers, which are used to smooth out lines on the skin. Researchers also found that hyaluronic acid and a purified polynucleotide worked together to improve the amount and quality of collagen in the skin and make the skin more elastic.
People who also use hyaluronic acid should follow the directions on the package because it can have harmful effects, such as:
- Pain
- Itching
- Bruising
- Swelling
For people with dark skin, the area may get darker or get a pinkish or grayish color. Pale skin can turn red.
Hyaluronic acid can be found in treatments like supplements; for example, capsules, creams, and ointments are put on the skin.
Vitamin C
Collagen can’t be made without vitamin C, which is a fact. Low levels of collagen can be caused by not getting enough vitamin C. This can lead to scurvy, a potentially severe disease.
Some signs of scurvy are:
- Gum problems
- Skin symptoms
- Issues with how wounds heal
Vitamin C has to come from food because the body can’t make it alone. So there are sources of food that are like:
- Citrus fruits
- Green or red peppers
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
If a person’s level of vitamin C is low, a doctor may suggest that they take supplements. Many skin creams that protect the skin have vitamin C in them. Research also suggests that applying something to the skin may help protect it from the sun and changes in color.
Our Treatments at Awaken Aesthetics
As we mentioned above, there are many ways to increase collagen production. Our office offers Sculptra and Radiesse as effective treatments for your worries. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Sculptra
Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) makes up Sculptra, and the treated area makes its collagen. Sculptra is given as a liquid, and it may take a few weeks to see results.
Even months after treatment, your results keep improving, especially if you get more treatments. With this injectable, you can get rid of wrinkles, lines, creases, and folds to look younger.
The area where Sculptra is injected gets better over a few weeks, so the results look natural. It is suggested for places with less traffic.
Hyperdilute Radiesse
Radiesse is made of calcium hydroxylapatite or CaHA. It is a filler that works right away to shape the face and encourages the body to produce collagen and elastin.
Hyperdilute Radiesse is a process in which saline solution and Lidocaine thin out Radiesse filler. This mix is injected into places where the skin is sagging.
Schedule Your Session Today
Call us today at Awaken Aesthetics if you want to try our services. We also have Wrinkle Relaxers & Facials that may help you work on your aesthetic goals at their best. Check more details with us and contact us at 609-365-9339. We hope to see you!
