Wondering why you still see more lines and wrinkles in your reflection despite trying special anti-aging creams and serum? The reason may have something to do with two amazing proteins: collagen and elastin.
Leslie Forrester, APRN, and the team at Wrinkle Fairy offer a variety of safe and effective aesthetic treatments for clients in Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace, Arlington Heights, and Naperville, Illinois. We also know your skin only looks as good on the outside as its health is under the surface.
Here, we explore the role of two key proteins, collagen and elastin, and the different treatments that target their production to improve the appearance and health of your skin.
You have more of the protein collagen than any other type of protein in your body. It’s a key element of many body parts, including your skin, tendons and ligaments, bones, and muscles.
This amazing protein helps hold your body together. When individual collagen molecules join, they create long, sturdy collagen fibers. Collagen fibers comprise most of the connective tissue in your body, and together they support your body structures.
Your body also produces lots of elastin, another protein. Elastin can stretch and recoil, like an elastic band. It’s what your body uses to create tissues that need to stretch, including your bladder, lungs, blood vessels, ligaments, and skin.
This key protein is made from different amino acids that come together to create flexible yet strong structures. It also works with collagen to keep your skin healthy, firm, and strong.
We see the signs of aging on the surface of our skin, but to understand the role of collagen and elastin in skin health, it’s important to consider what happens below the surface.
Your skin, the largest organ of your body, has many layers. Collagen and elastin can be found in the dermis (middle layer). Together, they promote new skin cell growth by encouraging the top layer of skin (epidermis) to shed and regenerate.
With new collagen and elastin, damaged cells are replaced with healthier, stronger cells. When you’re young, your body produces lots of collagen and elastin. This keeps your skin smooth, firm, and wrinkle-free.
But as you age, collagen and elastin production naturally decrease. This causes your skin to change. There isn’t a quick blood test to check your levels, but a look in the mirror can tell you if you’re experiencing decreased collagen and elastin production:
The production of these proteins starts declining in your 20s, and by the time you reach your late 40s, it’s significantly reduced and continues to decline as you get older.
Although you can’t reverse time, you can reverse declining collagen and elastin production and encourage the growth of more youthful-looking skin. The secret is understanding that the production of these proteins operates using the domino effect.
This means that the more collagen and elastin cells present in your body, the more your body continues to produce. As a result, it’s possible to trigger collagen and elastin production and maintain higher levels, giving you healthier, younger-looking skin.
The skincare team at Wrinkle Fairy works with you to discuss several ways you can stimulate collagen and elastin to improve the appearance and health of your skin. Our team reviews your skin’s current condition and goes over your aesthetic goals to create a personalized treatment plan, which may include:
Clients who experience the most dramatic results often achieve them using a combination of aesthetic treatments. Learn more about collagen and elastin and the treatments to boost their production by scheduling an appointment at the Wrinkle Fairy location nearest you.
