Skin collagen through the lifestages: importance for skin health and beauty

Abstract

Collagen-based supplements have become a keystone in the management of the ageing process, with proven ability to repair skin damage, bestowing a youthful and healthy appearance sought in the pursuit of beauty. Collagen is an essential scaffold protein that gives smoothness and elasticity to skin, but its production declines with age. Finding ways to tackle this problem is now strongly promoted as an effective way to transform skin and hair, repairing age-related deterioration. A growing number of scientific studies show exciting evidence that it is possible to rejuvenate ageing or damaged skin, improve function of worn joints, and support personal wellbeing and vitality. In recent times, research on the mechanisms which impact the production of collagen in skin and the ideal organization into functional fibres which give skin its characteristic elasticity and firmness has provided new insights into how this bio-scaffold can support cells, tissues and organs. The factors which influence collagen production over a lifetime (e.g., puberty, pregnancy, menopause, andropause), intrinsic factors (e.g., genetics, age, ethnicity) and extrinsic factors (e.g., UV-radiation, pollution, smoking) and the potential for new technologies, ingredients and devices to restore collagen and matrix components to their optimal condition are improving the ability to deliver anti-aging strategies with unprecedented results. This paper will review skin collagen production, structure and function throughout the lifestages, emphasizing its relationship with health, appearance and beauty.

Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift in the Field of Dermatology and Cosmetics

“…Most of the collagen supplements recommended by experts are enriched with peptides containing amino acidsincluding proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline -considered to be essential components of collagen [7][8][9]. Beyond this, researchers have claimed that increasing peptide production of hyaluronic acid in skin fibroblasts induces fibroblast migration and strengthens collagen, thus raising the amount of moisture in the stratum corneum [10].…”

A Guide to Collagen Sources, Applications and Current Advancements

“…Collagen is one of the major protein components of the dermis that defines skin physiology and maintains its structure along with the elastin fibre network. In human skin, type I collagen make up 80-90% of collagen [6] followed by type III collagen (8-10%) and type V collagen (<5%) [36].…”

“…Various internal and external factors (sunlight, pollution, smoking, etc.) also influence the physiological processes of skin ageing [6,17].…”

“…In mammals, it is involved in the formation of fibrillar and microfibrillar structures in the extracellular matrix (ECM) [2], which is a major component of connective tissues like bone [3], cartilage, tendons, etc. It is also present in blood vessels, the cornea [4], the dentin of teeth [5] and skin [6].…”

Ethosomal (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a novel approach to enhance antioxidant, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase effects

“…Skin aging is the result of biological changes, such as wrinkles, sagging, loss of elasticity, and thickening of the skin and it is caused by intrinsic (occur slowly and vary considerably between populations) and extrinsic factors. The main components of the connective tissue responsible for the elasticity and resistance of the skin in the dermis, (i.e., the middle layer of the skin) are collagen and elastin, and the changes in these two components play an important role in the skin aging process [ 1 – 2 ]. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals through ultraviolet (UV) radiation, smoking, pollution, and normal endogenous metabolic processes triggers the skin aging process.…”