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Everybody knows that collagen is important for the skin. Indeed, it is the principal structural protein
holding the skin together. The quantity and quality of your skin's collagen has a major role in your
appearance. Therefore, it may be tempting to think that simply getting more collagen into the skin should
lead to dramatic rejuvenating effects. While there is a grain of truth to that, things are more complicated
than they look as far as collagen is concerned.
Chemistry of collagen
Collagen is not like most proteins, which are essentially compact molecular clumps -- it is basically a fiber
or, when fully mature, a mesh of fibers. Not surprisingly, collagen's composition is also unusual. It is
particularly rich in four amino acids: lysine, proline, hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline. The most common
patterns in the amino acid sequence of collagen are lysine-hydroxylysine-proline and lysinehydroxylysine-hydroxyproline.
Type I Collagen - The most abundant collagen in the body. Found in tendons, bones, skin and
other tissues. Particularly abundant in the scar tissue.
Types II, IX, X, XI - Cartilage
Type III - Common in fast growing tissue, particularly at the early stages (Phase 1) of wound
repair. Much of it is replaced later by the type stronger and tougher type I collagen.
Type IV - Basal lamina (filtration membrane of capillaries)
Type V, VI - Generally found alongside type I
Type VII - Epithelia (lining of GI tract, urinary tract, etc.)
Type VIII - Lining of blood vessels
Type XII - Found alongside and interacts with types I and III
The most abundant types of collagen in the skin are I and III; their fibrils form the mesh largely
responsible for the skin's mechanical properties. Other types of collagen in the skin are V, VI, and XII.
They are found in much smaller amounts and appear to have a supportive role, whose details remain
unclear.
collagen boosters are more appropriate for the skin than others. Second, if you know the optimal skin
collagen composition and could measure your own, you may have a better chance of selecting skin care
that will work for you. Unfortunately, skin collagen composition analysis is still confined to advanced
research facilities and the effect of most skin care treatments (with some notable exceptions, such as
vitamin C) on specific collagen types remains unknown. But much research is going in that direction and
its results may enter consumer market relatively soon.
Quantity vs quality
Having a lot of collagen in your skin is not enough. Even having the right mix of the collagen types is not
enough. It is also important that collagen be undamaged and properly deposited. Collagen freshly
deposited by young, healthy fibroblasts has a coherent and orderly structure. When collagen is damaged
by UV rays, free radicals, impaired glucose metabolism, smoking or other factors, its structure becomes
distorted, leading to poor skin texture, wrinkles and other imperfections. In this scenario, a common
approach is to clear up the damaged collagen (e.g. via a peels, laser, activation of proteases or other
means) and then stimulate the production of a more regular new collagen. Many skin care procedures
and products address one or both steps of this approach.
Synthesis vs degradation
Most components of the skin, including collagen, undergo continuous turnover. New collagen is
continually produced and recycled throughout life. At a younger age the synthesis of collagen
predominates, whereas after about age of 40, the degradation of collagen picks up speed. Therefore, to
keep your skin's collagen in balance, after certain age you may benefit from steps to boost collagen
synthesis and reduce its degradation.
Considering that collagen type I and III seem to predominate in the skin, the agents and treatments
shown to stimulate the synthesis of these types are particularly promising. One good example of such an
agent is topical Vitamin C, whose capacity to stimulate both type I and III collagen has been shown in a
number of studies. (We discuss the use of vitamin C and other collagen boosters in the Anti-aging
Treatments section and Skin Rejuvenation Infopack.)
Just like the synthesis, collagen degradation is an ongoing, natural process. You may ask: why would the
skin want to destroy its key structural proteins? Isn't it like cutting the legs of your own chair? Well, not
quite. There are situations when removing collagen makes sense, e.g. when collagen it excessively
damaged or when there is an infection and a passageway needs to be cleared for the immune cells. But
as we age, collagen degradation tends to spin out of control and contribute to weakening and wrinkling of
the skin. On top of that, a number of external factors increase it even further: UV rays, smoking,
chlorinated water, free radicals, inflammation, irritation and others. Minimizing all of the above is always a
good idea but may not be enough to keep collagen degradation under control. A more advanced
approach is to inhibit the enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-s). These enzymes
(particularly the one called collagenase) chopping up collagen into small pieces which then get recycled.
Considering that older skin does not respond to collagen synthesis boosters particularly well, inhibiting
the degradation of collagen by MMP-s -- used alone or in conjunction with stimulating the synthesis -may prove to be a better approach. Much research is currently being done to find effective topical MMP
inhibitors. Unfortunately, despite claims by some manufacturers, none of the topical agents currently on
the market has been proven to directly inhibit MMP-s. However, such agents are likely to appear in the
near future. In the meantime, it is useful to know that some common skin care ingredients appear to
inhibit MMP-s indirectly, e.g. by inhibiting certain pathways of inflammation or suppressing the synthesis
of MMP-s. Such agents include lipoic acid, retinoids and others (see our Anti-Aging Treatments section).
Skin rejuvenation is not just about producing more of the key components of the skin matrix, such as
collagen and elastin. It is also about protecting the one you have from excessive degradation. Such
degradation is caused primarily by the enzymes matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). There are many types
of MMP and some are involved in breaking down elastin: MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-12, and possibly others.
Inhibiting these MMP may increase the skin content of elastin by reducing the rate of its degradation.
(See our article on MMP inhibitors.)
Controlled tissue injury procedures
Some skin rejuvenation procedures (e.g. lasers or medium-to-deep peels) work by inducing controlled
tissue injury followed by skin remodeling, which leads to increased production of new skin matrix and skin
remodeling. The predominant protein produced during healing is collagen but the synthesis of elastin
increases as well. However, whether such procedures lead to the sustained improvement in the density
and quality of elastin in the skin remains unclear. (See our section on noninvasive procedures.)
Topical tropoelastin
As we discussed earlier, fibroblasts synthesize the immature soluble form of elastin (tropoelastin), which
then permeates the dermis and fuses into an elastic web. What if tropoelastin were applied to the skin in
a cream? Would that help? At least one skin care company, DermaPlus, Inc. (not affiliated with
SmartSkinCare.com in any way), sells topical tropoelastin in a cream called DermaLastyl. The company
claims that their products increase skin content of elastin, thereby reducing wrinkles and firming skin.
Unfortunately, their research data have not been published in any peer-reviewed research journals.
Furthermore, large molecules like tropoelastin generally do not penetrate into the dermis easily enough to
produce clinically significant effects. Some skin penetration (all the way into the dermis) is occasionally
possible even for large molecules, including certain proteins. However, the claims that topical tropoelastin
restores youthful levels of dermal elastin will require solid, independent scientific evidence before they
can be taken seriously.
Ethocyn
Ethocyn (ethoxyhexyl-bicyclooctanone) is a small molecule tht easily penetrates into the dermis. It is
claimed to specifically increase the synthesis of elastin to the levels seen in early adulthood. At present,
the evidence backing such claims appears sparse. (See our acricle on Ethocyn.)
Water soluble
Vitamin C
Cysteine
Methionine
Selenium
Glutathione
Solubility of antioxidants
Fat soluble
Water and fat soluble
Vitamin E
Vitamin A
Carotenes
Lycopene
Coenzyme Q10
Lipoic acid
Melatonin
Some polyphenols
Some flavonoids
Below we review some of the antioxidant nutrients and supplements which appear the most likely to
produce skin benefits.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a principal fat soluble antioxidant vitamin in the body. It protects cellular membranes,
lipoproteins and other "oily" structures. Skin is high in unsaturated fatty acids ("oily" molecules especially
susceptible to free radical damage), and can benefit from vitamin E protection (both oral and topical).
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a diverse group of plant pigments with antioxidant properties. These substances are
responsible for color in many fruits, vegetables and flowers. In addition to providing color that attracts
insects or animals, these pigments protect plants from environmental stress. In addition to being potent
antioxidants, some flavonoids have antiallergic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity.
Over 4,000 flavonoids have been characterized and classified, but only a few have been researched. As
far as skin benefits are concerned, two classes of flavonoids appear to be especially beneficial:
proanthocyanins (found in grapes and pine bark) and polyphenols (found in green tea).