Collagen Banking: Everything You Need To Know About This Anti-Aging Technique
When it comes to having and maintaining a firm, smooth, youthful complexion, collagen is queen. This protein provides structure, strength and support to our skin, bones, muscles and connective tissues. Without it, our skin begins to sag, lose moisture, and develop fine lines and wrinkles.
Our bodies, the awesome creations that they are, produce collagen naturally. It’s made from cells called fibroblasts. One type of collagen, Type I, is the main collagen found in our skin, representing 80–90 per cent of skin collagen. Then once we hit our 20s, fibroblasts become less active and collagen production drops by about 1.0–1.5 per cent a year.
Many skincare products and treatments have been developed to fight the signs of aging, but collagen banking suggests we don’t have to wait until crow’s feet appear to get into battle mode.
The technique has been generating headlines lately, so we had to investigate it ourselves. Keep reading to find out what we learned. We’re here to help you make an informed decision. Maybe collagen banking is something you’d like to try.
What is Collagen Banking?
Collagen banking involves stimulating collagen production before your body starts to produce less of it. The idea is that by doing this, you’ll look younger for a longer period of time because you have “banked” collagen to draw from. Ideally, the younger you are when you start banking collagen, the better.
There are several ways you can try to bank collagen. Let’s look at them now.
How to Bank Collagen
Here are treatments that may help with collagen banking, or stimulate the production of collagen:
Microneedling
Microneedling is a procedure that involves puncturing the top layer of your skin with tiny sterilized needles. The damage stimulates your skin’s healing process, which produces collagen and elastin.
Ultherapy
Ultherapy uses ultrasound waves to heat the deeper layers of your skin, thereby stimulating collagen production to tighten your skin. One study examining the use of micro-focused ultrasound to tighten the skin of the mid and lower face found 93 per cent of study participants reported improvements at the end of six months.
Collagen Supplements
Collagen supplements are available as gummies, tablets and powders. Evidence from reviewed studies suggest oral collagen supplements improve skin moisture and elasticity, in addition to reducing the wrinkling and roughness of the skin.
Facial Serums
Serums made with ingredients like retinol, collagen peptides, niacinamide, and vitamin C may support collagen synthesis. One study evaluated the effectiveness of a daily multi-peptide eye serum on women ages 20–45. The results found a significant decrease in the number, depth, and volume of wrinkles after four weeks. Skin hydration, elasticity, and firmness also increased throughout the study period.
A Diet Rich in Vitamin C
Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen. You can obtain it through your diet, by eating foods that are good sources of the vitamin. These include:
· Papaya
· Strawberries
· Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits)
· Tomatoes
· Red and green peppers
· Dark green, leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts)
Wearing Sunscreen
Putting on sunscreen before you go outside is probably one of the easiest and best things you can do to protect the collagen you have. Repeated exposure to UV rays increases the degradation of collagen, alters the synthesis of new collagen, and alters elastin fibres. A lack of collagen and elastin also causes your skin to lose the ability to repair itself. So grab that SPF, OK?
What’s Better: Collagen Banking or Botox?
With collagen banking getting a lot of buzz at the moment, we have to ask if it’s better than botox. After all, the popular procedure has been shown to increase collagen production, and once you have botox injections, you’re good to go for up to four months.
Botox may offer convenience, but remember the procedure can be costly (averaging $528US), and it comes with risks. These include:
- Headache
- Flu-like symptoms
- Dry or watery eyes
- Drooling or a crooked smile
- Pain, swelling, bruising, or infection at the injection site
Collagen banking, through the use of clean serums, sunscreen, supplements, and a healthy lifestyle, is an easy and cost-effective way to attain similar results compared to potentially harmful cosmetic injections.
If you choose the serum and sunscreen route, consider downloading the Think Dirty app. It will help you find skincare products made with natural ingredients. All you have to do is use the app to scan the products’ barcodes. It’s like shopping with an ingredients expert by your side!
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