Collagen is a protein produced by our body that decreases with the passage of time, leading to progressive skin ageing. Stimulating its production is a way of slowing down skin ageing, keeping the skin more elastic, either with professional local treatments, e.g. at the Samsara Medical Centre in Lugano we perform microneedling, or home treatments with products containing collagen.
What are the benefits of collagen?
Collagen is responsible for the integrity of tissues such as muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, ensuring the maintenance of their optimal function. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear what the various functions of collagen are in our bodies and what procedures can be associated with its use as a dietary supplement to enhance its effects.
The benefits of collagen on skin firmness can be achieved through specific treatments and by correcting the diet with the aim of maintaining this protein's ability to ensure skin elasticity over time, slowing the progression of skin sagging. The wide-ranging benefits provided by this protein make many people seek solutions to stimulate its regeneration.
Ultimately, improving the quality and quantity of our collagen means:
- prevent the appearance or decrease cellulite;
- strengthen nails;
- strengthen hair, improving the appearance and thickness of strands;
- reduce the appearance of stretch marks;
- improve skin elasticity;
- strengthen ligaments;
- reduce the tendency to osteoporosis and osteopenia;
- prevent and slow down the appearance of wrinkles.
How to reconstitute collagen?
The synthesis of collagen is possible due to the presence of two amino acids in the body, glycine and proline, as well as requiring adequate levels of vitamin C.
Glycine is mainly found in foods of animal origin such as: fish, chicken, lean red meat, dairy products, eggs.
It is also found in lentils, beans, chickpeas, wheat germ, oats, brown rice, cabbage, broccoli, and pumpkin.
Proline, on the other hand, can be found mainly in foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs, milk and yoghurt, gelatin, oilseeds, peas, beans, maize, barley, aubergines, beetroot, carrots, pumpkin, turnips, mushrooms, garlic and red onion.
Vitamin C, in turn, is present in foods such as strawberries, acerola, oranges, kiwi, lemon, papaya, mango, dark green leafy vegetables, etc.
Therefore, a diet rich in these elements is certainly already conducive to collagen production.
It is also possible to opt for collagen supplements that are available in different formats such as capsules, tablets and powder.
This intake should be guided by medical advice and be continued for a few months to start showing the desired results.
Which procedures increase collagen production?
Collagen can be injected directly under the skin to stimulate its regeneration.
In this case, sessions are carried out in an outpatient setting every 3-4 weeks for a total of 4 applications. In this way, the injected collagen is distributed in the dermis, stimulating the synthesis of new collagen.
Collagen is good for the body as a whole and its benefits are not limited to the face but also to those body sites prone to cellulite and stretch marks.
When we take collagen, can we also stimulate its production with local treatments?
Of course! For example, a very useful treatment in this respect is microneedling, a treatment using a roller or pen with several sterile surgical steel needles.
When passed onto the patient's skin, this treatment causes thousands of small epidermal lesions.
In the face of this damage, the skin then starts a regeneration process that causes a localised increase in new collagen associated with cell renewal.
In the post-treatment period, redness and scaling may be present.
Sessions are usually repeated monthly to optimise results.
