When we discuss how our skin naturally ages, one word that frequently comes up is “collagen.” But what is it exactly?
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein found in all animals and humans. It is the most abundant form of protein in the body, accounting for roughly one-third of total supply.
1 Collagen, on the other hand, isn’t just the key to firmer-looking and -feeling skin. It also serves a variety of other important functions throughout the body.
From your tendons to your gums, powdered collagen protein makes up the majority of your body’s hard and soft tissues. It can also be found in bones, skin, and ligaments, as well as blood vessels, corneas, and teeth.
While it is best known for giving your skin structure, it also plays an important role in blood clotting. Collogens are classified into four types that support various body systems. However, as we age, we produce not only less of it, but also of lower quality.
This is more visible in the skin, but it is also visible in other ways; as our collagen supplementation levels drop, the cartilage in our bones begins to deteriorate. After the age of 20, your skin produces about 1% less collagen per year.
2 This means that your skin will become thinner and more prone to wrinkles after this point.
How does collagen function?
The precise biological mechanisms are unknown, but scientists believe collagen’s wrinkle-fighting abilities are due to the fact that it breaks down into small chains of amino acids and peptides.
When your body breaks down collagen in the digestive tract, amino acid and peptide fragments are absorbed into the bloodstream. This then stimulates the body’s natural collagen production within the skin.
collagen supplement serves as a springy scaffold for your skin, holding it together, providing structure, and allowing it to bounce back after injury.
It also helps with scalp health, promoting strong and thick hair growth, and preventing nail splitting and flaking.
Collagen is made up of strong strands of amino acids that are tightly bound together in a rope-like chain. 5 These strong chains are responsible for the resilience and plumpness of young, healthy skin.
As they grow, babies, children, and teenagers produce a lot of collagen. This helps to explain why their skin is so smooth and wrinkle-free. As we age, our bodies produce less and less collagen, which manifests as wrinkles, sagging skin, thinning hair, and weak, brittle nails.
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