Monday, February 27, 2012

The Truth about Collagen

Collagen is not the solution for wrinkle treatment despite what its followers may lead you to believe or the amount of attention it receives through the media. Simply understanding the skin structure and to know about collagen is proof enough.

The skin strucure:
  1. Epidermis
  2. Dermis
  3. Subcutaneous tissue/Hypodermis
What is Collagen?

It's an insoluble protetin and the main component of the connective tissue. Collagen is responsible for your skin's elasticity. Collagen appears in many places throughout the body.

The five most common types are found in:

  • Collagen I: skin, tendons, vascular ligatures, organs, bones
  • Collagen II: cartilage, vitreous humour of the eye
  • Collagen III: skin, intestines, uterus artery walls
  • Collagen IV: kidney, eye lens
  • Collagen V: cell surfaces, hair and placenta

In brief: collagen is a natural protein (which originate from fibroblast cells) that supports the body's primary tissues' structure: the connective tissue. The collagen provides elasticity for tissues and organs. With aging the fibroblast cells produce less and less collagen and elastin fibers, therefore the dermis sinks and the skin loses its firmness, elasticity and becomes wrinkled.

The collagen and elastin are in the Dermis. (The dermis is under the epidermis.) Collagen in creams can not reach the dermis, just the epidermis (if their molecules are not too big,) thus it can not treat wrinkles. It has moisturizing effect on the epidermis, but that's it. We need agents what helps to regenerate the collagen fibres. These are:

  • Retinol
  • Retinyl Palmitate
  • Tocopherol acetate-if it's not synthetic!
  • Retinoic Acid (but it has some side effects and you have to be very careful how to use it)

Agents that help build and restore collagen from the inside:

  • Probiotic Q10 coenzim
  • Vegetable, fruits
  • Drink 3L water/day
  • Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids
  • 10mg vitamin E supplement daily
  • Foods what containe Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and selenium

I recommend the following for fine lines:

  • Evening primrose oil
  • Wheat germ oil
  • Avocado oil
  • Jojoba oil
  • Apricot kernel oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Grape seed oil
  • Olive oil

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