Since a potion to prevent aging has not yet been found you can turn towards the next best thing available: collagen treatments. Collagen, which is naturally produced by the skin in the dermis, is a protein responsible for the skin’s youthful appearance and tightness. Until the age of 25, the skin is made out of 80% collagen, but past this age it starts to reduce with a rate of about 1% a year. Decreased collagen production leads to wrinkles and sagging skin, and this is exactly what women want to prevent.
Anti-aging treatments nowadays have been focusing more on working from the inside out than the other way around according to Laura Casewell, editor of The Cosmetic Surgery Guide, who told DailyMail that:
“There’s a definite move towards improving the skin from the “inside out” rather than the “outside in” and stimulating our bodies to replace what has been lost.”
Now, to test if collagen treatments work or not, Tanith Carey, DailyMail’s editor, turned towards various collagen treatments that included diet restrictions, injections, collagen boosting creams and supplements. Prior to these collagen boosting treatments, she made an appointment to test exactly how much collagen she had in her skin. Her result: 61 out of 100, just over the average for women of her age.
The collagen treatments for anti-aging which lasted 8 weeks included:
Diet Restrictions
Diet restriction to prevent aging and collagen depletion are highly recommended, as sugar rich foods are you skin’s worst enemy. According to nutritionist Vicki Edgson, not only smoking and sunbathing damage the skin but also sugar, who’s molecules attack collagen proteins and prevent them from functioning normally. Reduced collagen production means a more rapid skin aging process, and this is exactly what everyone wants to prevent.
See also: What to Eat for Glowing Skin: Diet Tips
Sculptra Injections
Sculptra injections contain poly-L-lactic acid which does not affect the production of natural collagen. This FDA approved ingredient aims to fill in gaps and add volume to the face, thus smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines. The injections are done by a Sculptra trained physician after a topical anesthetic has been applied to numb the skin. The injectable skin treatment is then targeted to the specific areas identified by the doctor as in need of filling.
On average three treatment sessions done over the course of a few months are needed for optimal results, and although the steep price (you’ll need to fork over anywhere in between $800 and $2500), the results are said to last up to two years and are considered to be the most effective.
Collagen Heating Treatment
Maybe if we tell you that Gwyneth Paltrow recently admitted to getting the collagen heating treatment you’ll be more tempted to give it a try. The treatment is non invasive and uses radio frequency technology to heat the deep layers of the skin to stimulate collagen production, and the results are visible immediately. The number of treatment sessions are determined individually and the cost for one session is somewhere around $590.
Read more: Anti Aging Facials: Homemade & Salon Treatments
Copper Cream
A great facial cream can do wonders for your skin but apparently not all have the power to penetrate deeply the skin’s pores. Copper creams, however, are said to feature very small particles that can deliver moisture deep within the skin, so swap your regular moisturizer for copper cream to see if they work for you. Tanith, DailyMail’s editor, opted for Neova Crème de la Copper ($110) to maintain her skin in great condition.
Collagen Supplements
There are various supplements in the form of pills or drinks which claim to improve collagen production. For this test Tanith supplemented her daily diet with Boots’ Pure Gold Collagen liquid and Perfectil Platinum TimeDefy tablets.
The results of her 8 week collagen boost treatment test: improved skin collagen levels with about 5%, which means the treatments wiped about 5 years off the face.
(source)
Would you give collagen treatments a try? What treatment do you use to boost collagen production?
