What benefits of collagen for the skin?
The role of collagen with tissue is likened to cement in building a house. In the skin, collagen is located in the dermis, together with elastin to form a network that gives elasticity and firmness to the skin, making the skin younger and more supple. In vertebrates, 28 types of collagen have been identified and described, collagen in the skin belongs to types I and III.
1. What effect does collagen have?
Collagen is a fibrous protein that makes up 25-30% of the total protein mass of the whole body and is a major component of the extracellular matrix. The function of collagen is to bind tissues, create structural models for tissues, provide mechanical protection, and nourish tissues.
Collagen helps promote regeneration and initiates wound healing through the activation of inflammatory cells and vascular tissue. Collagen has been shown to stimulate angiogenic growth factors, epithelial cell migration, and proliferation, leading to epithelial remodeling.
Collagen is located in the dermis, together with elastin to form a network that gives elasticity and firmness to the skin, making the skin younger and more supple.
The body’s natural collagen production slows down when you turn 20, and each year, the amount of collagen in the body will lose about 1-1.5%. By the age of 40, most of us will have lost about 50% of the collagen in our skin. The process of collagen reduction can be more and faster when under the influence of factors: exposure to the sun, smoking, drinking alcohol, consuming a lot of sugar, stress, insomnia, and sedentary. genetics, hormones, and some diseases. Especially when women enter menopause. This is also the cause of wrinkles and lack of firmness, sagging in the skin of middle-aged women.
If you have a habit of applying sunscreen and limiting sun exposure, following a healthy, balanced lifestyle, you will be less likely to experience premature collagen loss. However, to be able to compensate for lost collagen and slow down collagen loss, collagen supplementation plays a very important role.
2. The mechanism of action of collagen
Collagen used in cosmetology is low molecular weight hydrolyzed collagen produced from the skin and connective tissue of terrestrial animals (cow, pig, chicken) or the sea (fish, jellyfish, …). Collagen used to supplement the skin is mainly collagen type I and III, of which type I is most commonly used due to its biocompatibility with the body. Oral collagen supplements have a positive effect on adding collagen to the body and safely anti-aging skin.
Oral collagen when entering the body will affect the process of extracellular changes in the synthesis of collagen in the skin, stimulate collagen production and promote the rate of skin renewal. The amino acids in collagen do not match the amino acids in other proteins, so an oral collagen supply is necessary.
Changes in skin, hair, and nails when supplementing with enough collagen:
Firmer, more hydrated, less wrinkled, brighter, healthier, less blemished skin.
Improves cellulite skin condition.
Wounds heal faster.
Less hair loss, faster growth, increased size and density of hair follicles.
Nails reduce breakage and become thick, strong, and strong.
Compared with the use of collagen supplements in the form of topical creams and oral, many studies have shown that: Taking collagen orally will help enhance collagen effects on the skin many times. This is because oral collagen can work into the deeper layers of the skin, targeting the dermis, where collagen loss occurs. Meanwhile, topical creams tend to primarily affect the epidermis – the top layer of skin. The improvements seen with the cream were mainly due to increased hydration, which promotes better healing and not to the deeper structural changes achieved with oral collagen supplementation.
Oral collagen currently has 4 main forms as follows:
Tablets;
Powder form;
Jelly form;
Water form.
Each form has its advantages and disadvantages. You can consider choosing a form of drink that suits your lifestyle and finances.
3. When should I start taking collagen?
Women and men both need collagen supplements and this should start as soon as possible. The ideal time to take collagen should be from 20-25 years old to achieve the best results. Although the effectiveness depends on each person’s goals and lifestyle, in general, taking collagen in your 20s has the effect of preventing the inevitable skin aging process that will occur in the future.
Studies on collagen so far have shown that oral collagen (functional food) is safe and effective, and no side effects have been recorded. The collagen production process is mainly derived from terrestrial or aquatic animals (usually cows, and fish) so it may not be suitable for vegetarians and people with allergies to ingredients in collagen. to drink. However, for subjects such as pregnant women, and patients with medical conditions, there are no studies to support the safety of these subjects. Therefore, these subjects who want to use collagen should consult a doctor and weigh the benefits – risks when using it.
To see the effect of oral collagen takes a long time, the fastest is 1 month, and the average is 3 months, maybe longer for people with a lot of collagen deficiency, so you should not be in a hurry to use it. The effect of collagen will increase with time with collagen supplementation. It takes persistence to achieve good results. The best time to take collagen is in the morning, on an empty stomach, and 30 minutes before breakfast.
To prevent aging and help increase the effects of oral collagen, you should do:
Adding Vitamin C helps exogenous collagen can be absorbed and promoted in the body.
Use collagen regularly.
Avoid direct sunlight and apply sunscreen every day.
Exercise regularly.
Avoid staying up late.
No smoking, no drinking alcohol.
Limit sugar consumption.
In short, supplementing with collagen in the right way at the right time will help your skin stay youthful and radiant. However, you also need to remember that collagen drinks are not a complete replacement for a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Read more: