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What You Need to Know About Collagen

What You Need to Know About Collagen

Being the most prevalent protein in your body, collagen is found nearly everywhere. It is present in tendons, ligaments, muscles, and skin and serves as the basis for the majority of connective tissue.

Understanding collagen's function can help you know how to best take care of your skin since it provides most of the structural support for your skin. The team of medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatologists at Orange Coast Dermatology are at the forefront in skin care. 

From our offices in Rancho Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo, California, our expert dermatology team offers the latest advancements in skin care. The Orange Coast Dermatology team provides a variety of treatments to encourage the development of new collagen in ways that improve your appearance.

Collagen: the skin’s structural foundation

When you are in your 20s, the collagen in your skin begins to deteriorate. As collagen levels decline, your skin loses volume, hydration, and suppleness, yet strangely enough, your body still has the capacity to produce new collagen. 

When you have a cut that heals with a light-colored, slightly elevated scar, you’re witnessing collagen in action.

The challenge, however, is finding a way to enhance collagen production without leaving behind unsightly scars. In the middle layer of healthy skin, collagen and elastin combine to form a three-dimensional matrix.

This matrix deteriorates with age, causing the skin to droop into voids and develop lines and wrinkles. Time and photoaging from exposure to sunlight and other ultraviolet light are the main causes of this breakdown in the collagen matrix.

Stimulating collagen production

Many of the effective treatments for promoting collagen production cause wounds that start your body's healing process. When this simulated injury is even and broad, new collagen develops in a matrix that is also even and widespread, enhancing existing collagen, pulling in moisture to the area, and boosting your skin's ability to sustain the outer layer.

We approach collagen induction in a variety of ways. The staff would be pleased to assist in suggesting a regimen that is suitable for you, and you can add one or more to your present skin care routine.

Microneedling: a rejuvenating collagen treatment

Microneedling is a type of collagen induction therapy that stimulates collagen while supplying the nutrients needed for rapid results. It involves rejuvenating the skin by inserting very tiny, short, sterilized needles. 

We use a handheld, electrically powered device with tiny needles that make precise, microscopic punctures in the skin. These "micro-injuries" work by encouraging the skin to heal itself naturally through a process known as dermal remodeling. Inflammation initiates this process and prompts the skin to produce new collagen, which leaves you with a smoother, more youthful appearance.

Three to five monthly or biweekly treatments are recommended for optimal results. Microneedling can lengthen the elastic skin fibers over the course of several sessions. The top layer of skin, which naturally thins with age, can also become thicker and tauter with the aid of microneedling.

Fractional resurfacing

Combining microneedles with radiofrequency (fractional resurfacing) is the next step up from microneedling. When the tiny pins enter the skin, they not only create microchannels but also deliver radiofrequency (RF) for skin tightening to the deeper layers of the skin. 

This makes it possible to treat deeper wrinkles, acne scars, enlarged pores, and uneven skin texture in an efficient manner. In order to even out skin tone and texture, fractional resurfacing stimulates fibroblasts to produce more collagen, improves blood flow to the skin, and increases the release of growth factors.

The quickest route to younger-looking skin is to add a versatile medical partner because the ideal technique to get collagen working for you depends on the state of your skin, its strengths, and weaknesses. To schedule your private consultation, get in touch with our team at Orange Coast Dermatology by phone or online right away.

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