Environmental variables, genetic composition, diet, and other factors all contribute to skin changes. The most important single component, however, is sun exposure. This may be seen by contrasting portions of your body that are regularly exposed to sunlight with those that are not.

 

 Source: Harvard Health

Natural pigments appear to offer some protection from sun-induced skin damage. Persons with blue eyes and pale skin show greater aging skin changes than people with darker, more highly pigmented skin.

Changes in connective tissue weaken and sag the skin's suppleness. This is referred to as elastosis. It is particularly evident in regions that are exposed to sunlight (solar elastosis). Elastosis causes the leathery, weather-beaten appearance that farmers, sailors, and others who spend a lot of time outside are accustomed to.

Aging Skin

The outer skin layer (epidermis) thins with age, even if the number of cell layers stays constant.

Melanocytes (pigment-containing cells) become less in number. The size of the surviving melanocytes increases. Skin that has aged seems thinner, paler, and clearer (translucent). In sun-exposed regions, pigmented patches such as age spots or "liver spots" may form. Lentigos is the medical word for these regions.

Dermal blood vessels become more vulnerable. This causes bruising, bleeding under the skin (often known as senile purpura), cherry angiomas, and other symptoms.

As you become older, your sebaceous glands generate less oil. Men have a little reduction, usually after the age of 80. Beginning after menopause, women gradually create less oil. This might make keeping the skin moist more difficult.

Skin damage becomes more likely as you become older. Your skin becomes thinner and more brittle, and some of the protective fat layer is lost. You may also be less sensitive to touch, pressure, vibration, heat, and cold.

Skin rips can be caused by rubbing or tugging on the skin. Fragile blood arteries can readily rupture. Even slight injuries can result in bruises, flat collections of blood (purpura), and elevated collections of blood (hematomas).

Face and neck appearance often varies with aging. The loss of muscle tone and thinning skin causes the face to seem flabby or droopy. Sagging jowls can give the appearance of a double chin in certain persons.

Wrinkles

The skin also dries out, and the underlying layer of fat decreases, resulting in  not plump, dry surface on your face. Wrinkles are unavoidable to some extent. Sun exposure and cigarette smoking, on the other hand, are likely to hasten their development. Blotches and dark patches on the face become more numerous and larger in size. Sun exposure is mostly responsible for these pigment alterations.

Wrinkles, which are a normal part of the aging process, are most visible on sun-exposed skin, such as the face, neck, hands, and forearms.

Although genetics play the most important role in skin structure and texture, sun exposure is a key source of wrinkles, especially in persons with fair skin. Pollutants and smoking are other factors in wrinkle formation.

If you are bothered by wrinkles, you now have more alternatives than ever to smooth them out or make them less obvious. The most effective wrinkle treatments are medications, skin resurfacing procedures, fillers, and surgery.

Collagen

Collagen is a protein that is crucial for joint health and skin suppleness. It's in your bones, muscles, and blood, and it makes up three-quarters of your skin and one-third of your protein.

As you age, your present collagen degrades, making it more difficult for your body to make more. As a result, a growing number of people are turning to collagen supplements. These supplements are often powders, but capsules and liquid supplements are also available.

Collagen is also produced naturally in the body by combining amino acids, the building blocks of proteins found in food. To produce collagen, your body needs:

Proline	Glycine	Vitamin C	Zinc	Copper
found in egg whites, dairy, cabbage, mushrooms, and asparagus	found in pork skin, chicken skin, and gelatin, and a variety of other protein-rich foods	found in citrus fruits and bell peppers	found in beef, lamb, pork, shellfish, chickpeas, lentils, beans, milk, cheese, and various nuts and seeds	found in organ meats, cocoa powder, cashews, sesame seeds, and lentils

Collagen accounts about 70% of the dry skin bulk. It fortifies your skin and improves its elasticity and moisture. Collagen fibers provide the framework for elastin and hyaluronic acid, which are essential for the suppleness and hydration of the skin.

As you become older, your body produces less collagen. The skin thins, gets drier, and loses elasticity. Wrinkles occur as a result of collagen loss.

When you reach the age of 30, your body begins to lose collagen. After a few years, the impacts become apparent. Although this is a normal process, it can be accelerated by UV exposure, pollution, unhealthy behaviors, and poor dietary choices.

Importance of Collagen

Since collagen is found in so many vital portions of our bodies, it is not only useful but also necessary for optimum health. The advantages of collagen supplements, on the other hand, are still being contested. While there is some evidence that they help keep skin moisturized and alleviate osteoarthritis pain, additional study into less well-known advantages, such as decreasing blood pressure and blood sugar levels, is needed.

Benefits of Collagen

• Bones that are stronger
• As you become older, your bones grow less solid and more fragile, allowing them to shatter more readily and repair more slowly. Daily collagen supplements have been found in studies to help make your bones denser, reducing the aging process that causes them to brittle and assisting your body in producing new bone.
• Elasticity and Hydration of the Skin
• Collagen supplements used orally have been found to increase skin hydration and suppleness in the elderly. They may also help to reduce wrinkles.
• Hair that is thicker
• While males are more likely to grow bald, many women experience hair loss or thinning as they age. A group of women with thinning hair reported substantial gains in hair quantity, scalp covering, and thickness when taking daily collagen supplements in one research.
• Nails that are healthier
• Some people's nails break more readily and grow slower than others. After only four weeks of regular collagen supplementation, one researcher found that women's nails grow quicker and have fewer broken or chipped nails.
• Pain relief from osteoarthritis
• Oral collagen supplements may work as a modest pain reliever and enhance joint function in persons with knee osteoarthritis. It may take three to five months of regular therapy to observe these results.
• Muscle Mass Increase
• A combination of collagen peptide supplements and strength training may aid in increasing muscle growth and strength.

Reduce Collagen in 20s

Collagen loss has an impact on how you appear and feel. The earliest indications may be inconspicuous. However, the sooner you begin, the more you will be able to do to replace the collagen in your body and experience favorable benefits.

1. Natural Fullness Loss

The cheeks flatten out, while the under-eye region develops hollows. Unless you've recently lost a lot of weight, these are most likely indications of collagen loss.

2. Joint Ache

As you lose collagen, your joints begin to suffer greater wear and tear. They may eventually begin to pain throughout ordinary activities.

3. Skin Sagging

Because collagen is responsible for skin elasticity, as it declines, so does your skin's firmness. The drooping impact may be visible on your jawline, cheeks, buttocks, and tummy.

4. Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Wrinkles and fine lines form as a result of collagen loss, which causes skin dryness and thinning.

5. Hair that is lifeless

Hair begins to thin and no longer seems as healthy as it once did. You may also have hair loss. Hair may begin to split and break when the quantity of collagen in the body decreases.

6. Gaining Weight

A reduction in collagen may cause your metabolism to stall. As a result, even if you do not modify your eating habits, you may begin to gain weight.

7. Teeth Issues

Collagen is essential for fastening your teeth to your gums. You may begin to experience tooth issues such as discomfort, sensitivity, and early decay.

It's important to note that all of the aforementioned symptoms might be signs of something else. That is why it is critical to speak with your doctor, avoid self-diagnosis, and exercise caution when self-prescribing vitamins or medicine.

Building Collagen

Many individuals are researching techniques to increase collagen in the skin in order to prevent wrinkles and other indicators of skin aging. Here are several alternatives that researchers have looked into.

Source: InStyle

1. The substance hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that aids in the formation of collagen. In a 2014 studyTrusted Source, researchers used either water or hyaluronic acid to heal wounds in mice. Wounds treated with hyaluronic acid healed faster than those treated with water. In addition, the skin around the wounds had increased amounts of two forms of collagen.

Hyaluronic acid is frequently used in dermal fillers, which are used to decrease wrinkles in the skin. According to 2020Trusted Source, a combination of hyaluronic acid and a pure polynucleotide increased the amount and quality of collagen in the skin and improved skin suppleness.

2. C vitamin

Vitamin C is required for collagen formation and is a Trusted Source. A lack of vitamin C can result in low collagen levels, which can lead to scurvy, a potentially fatal illness.

Scurvy symptoms include:

• gum disease
• skin manifestations
• wound healing difficulties

Because the human body cannot produce vitamin C, it must be obtained from diet. Among the food sources are:

• the citrus fruits
• red or green peppers
• strawberries
• broccoli

Many skin care brands use vitamin C in their anti-aging treatments. According to researchTrusted Source, topical treatments may help protect the skin from sun exposure and pigmentation changes. However, there is little data to prove that it works or to determine which formulation is most likely to be successful.

3. Supplements containing collagen

Collagen supplements are used to improve joint and skin health. According to a 2021 reviewTrusted Source, using hydrolyzed collagen supplements for 90 days can decrease wrinkles while also improving skin suppleness and moisture.

4.Ginseng

Ginseng is a plant with several potential health advantages. According to older research from 2012, ginseng boosts the quantity of collagen in the circulation.Ginseng is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It may also help prevent aging in skin cells, according to the researchers.

A 2020 laboratory study suggests that red ginseng may lessen the stiffness of fibroblasts, which are part of the collagen structure. The authors conclude that it may enhance skin suppleness.

5.Carotenoids and retinoids

Carotenoids, which include retinol and beta carotene, are antioxidants that can improve skin health. They are vitamin A derivatives.According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), using a retinol-containing cream or lotion may help improve skin texture marginally. It does not, however, penetrate deeply enough to tighten loose skin.

According to the research, topical retinoids may help protect the skin from sunlight by blocking UV rays from breaking down collagen.

Vitamin A-rich foods include:

• liver of beef
• potatoes dulces
• spinach
• pumpkin
• carrots

6. Antioxidants

Antioxidants shield the body against free radicals, which are chemicals produced by the body during metabolism. Chemical exposure, such as that found in cigarette smoke, can also bring free radicals into the body. Antioxidants can help preserve and revitalize the skin by boosting collagen formation, for example. Many plant-based diets include antioxidants.

According to previous study from 2013,rice, antioxidants found in the following foods and beverages may be beneficial to the skin:

• blueberries
• The active component of green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate.
• mate de yerba
• extract of licorice
• extract of mulberry
• pomegranate juice
• extract of coffee
• astragalus
• cinnamon
• Essential oils of basil, oregano, and thyme

The Dangers of Collagen Supplements

Collagen supplements have little to no side effects. If you're pregnant or nursing, you should avoid using collagen supplements for the time being because there hasn't been enough study to draw any judgments regarding their safety.

References:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004014.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1606623/

https://vibrancemedspa.com/what-happens-to-collagen-as-we-age/

https://www.webmd.com/diet/collagen-health-benefits#:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wrinkles/symptoms-causes/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317151#9-ways-to-boost-collagen