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health and wellness
Mayo Clinic: Nowadays, you see ads for collagen powders and supplements everywhere, and my sister swears by how effective they are at fighting wrinkles. Is it really effective in preventing aging? What exactly is collagen?
answer: Collagen has been featured in the media as having anti-aging effects. At least 30% of your body is made up of collagen, including your skin, bones, tendons, and organs. Collagen is a protein in the skin’s supporting tissue that helps give it firmness and suppleness. Loss of collagen over time can lead to sagging, thinning, and wrinkles in your skin, making you look older. Much of the anti-aging industry focuses on maintaining collagen, or better yet, building collagen.
Collagen comes in the form of over-the-counter dietary supplements such as capsules and powders, but it can also be ingested through gelatin found in foods such as jellies and marshmallows. Research is unclear on whether taking collagen orally through diet or supplements is beneficial. When collagen research is done, it is often not done in humans, or it may be done in humans, but in amounts that are unrealistic for long-term daily diets and habits.
When considering topical collagen products such as serums and moisturizers, keep in mind that collagen is a large protein with a complex structure and cannot be absorbed directly through the skin. Commercially available products may have fancy words on the label, such as “highly hydrolyzed collagen peptides.” It claims that the chemical structure of collagen makes it more easily absorbed in the lining of the intestines and on the surface of the skin, making it seemingly more active. .
Topical products that are not drugs are not registered through the Food and Drug Administration in the same way as prescription drugs. Similarly, oral supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as food and oral medications. There are many products available on the market, but do you know how they are tested, what they contain, and whether their ingredients are beneficial, non-toxic, or potentially harmful? It is difficult to determine whether
Another thing to note is that in dermatology, plastic surgery, facial surgery, otolaryngology, and other surgeries, skin collagen and fillers are administered through in-office treatments such as injections. Therefore, for those interested in anti-aging properties and deep skin volumization, active medical intervention via prescription or in the doctor’s office is recommended at this time, rather than over-the-counter oral or topical treatments. . If you would like more information, please talk to your healthcare team.
In conclusion, it is unclear whether topical or oral collagen supplementation is beneficial for anti-aging purposes. There is no magic pill to reverse aging. Sun exposure is a major cause of wrinkles, especially for people with fair skin. Smoking also narrows blood vessels in the outer layer of the skin and damages collagen. The most effective ways to support collagen for anti-aging are to avoid smoking and second-hand smoke, limit alcohol use, and always wear sunscreen. —Dr. Dawn DavisMayo Clinic Dermatology, Rochester, Minnesota.
