Why does your collagen “let you down”?
Collagen is the major key to everything “aging”. Understanding how the body changes with age is key to understanding why collagen fillers began a cosmetic revolution over 2 decades ago.
Most people don’t like to see themselves age – after all, don’t we all stay 25 forever? So filling the wrinkles and filling out the folds and lifting the sag become more attractive options as we attempt to match on the outside what age we feel like inside.
In all its simplicity, collagen forms and then dies off in a continuing cycle. When we are younger, the cycle is robust so we have smooth firm skin. BUT, as we grow older, this once-robust cycle changes its behavior.
NOW we have a faster collagen die-off than we do generation. This seemingly backward cycle progresses until it is obvious to anyone looking at us that we are getting old.
Collagen is the basic building block so its loss impacts our skin all over our body. The skin layers also lose fat, so there is the double whammy of losing some of the fat layer and the basic support. Wrinkles and sagging are inevitable.
Today we have a wide variety of collagen replacements. The popular fillers are Juvederm and Restylane, both hyaluronic gels; Radiesse, a long term filler and facial contouring agent; Sculptra, a bio stimulator that helps you get your own collagen factory back to work; and Bellafill, the only currently available filler which contains bovine collagen as a carrier for the permanent microspheres.
Collagen might “let you down”, but there are a number of fillers and collagen-inspiring lasers which mitigate the effects of Mother Nature.
Please contact us at our Irvine dermatology office for further information.
When it comes to your skin and your health, it really is all about what’s best for you. Total Dermatology understands this, which is why we offer versatile treatments with experienced and highly trained aesthetic professionals led by Dr. Nissan Pilest. Your Total Dermatology transformation awaits.
