In this blog post, I am going to go over the importance of collagen. Collagen makes up a large part of our body composition. Collagen is what makes our skin look bouncy, plump and younger. In our twenties we start slowing down the production of collagen. So, by the time we hit our mid- thirties we start seeing the signs of aging. Aging happens because of collagen depletion. I can tell you the biggest complaint I hear from women when I am doing a consultation in the spa is “I look old and tired”. When you look at pictures from your twenties you probably see radiant skin and plump cheeks. This is because of all the good collagen you had back then. Fast forward fifteen years, now you see fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and a dull complexion. All of these issues can be improved by taking some simple steps to increase collagen production. Here are a few tips on how to get that glow back into your skin!
- Topical Vitamin C, Retinols and Growth Factors. Incorporating these three products into your skincare routine will make a huge difference in your skin. I highly recommend using medical grade products as these will penetrate on the cellular level versus just sitting on top of the skin like most over the counter products do. Applying Vitamin C and Vitamin A (retinol) will help boost collagen production. Growth factors are important also as they send signals to cells to produce collagen and elastin. My favorite Vitamin C is Flavo-C from Isdin. My go to retinol is from Skinmedica. I use the .1 strength. I recommend starting out with .25 or .5 then working your way up to the highest strength. My favorite growth factor is brand new from Skinmedica. It is the TNS Advance+ Serum. I have been using this for a month and I can already tell a huge difference in my skin!
- Sunscreen. I cannot stress it enough. Wear sunscreen every single day. If you only did one thing out of all of these tips..I recommend you do this. Sunscreen is so important in protecting you from damaging UV rays. Which by the way will damage collagen. Which in turn causes the aging process to speed up.
- Lifestyle. Changing over to a healthy lifestyle will help stimulate collagen. Smoking, sun exposure and alcohol all deplete collagen. Smoking will age you faster than anything else. Not only is it horrible for your health it breaks down your collagen and elastin. The result: sagging skin, deep wrinkles and a dull complexion. Also limit sun exposure and drink in moderation.
- Supplements. I tell all of my clients not only do they need to apply Vitamin C to their face, they also need to be taking it orally. Vitamin C is critical in the production and maintenance of collagen. It is also important in supporting a healthy immune system. I have been reading a lot about collagen supplements, powders etc.. There are a lot of conflicting reports if they work or not. I have recently purchased a supplement called Modere. It gets rave reviews from a lot of people I follow on social media. I will be doing a complete review on this in a few weeks.
- My final tip is getting collagen inducing therapy. This ranges from microneedling to lasers. I aim to get some type of procedure in the spa at least every 4 to 6 weeks.
Hopefully these few tips will help you get glowing skin. I always tell my clients we can’t stop the aging process but we can slow it down! Drop a comment below of your favorite anti-aging products!
