Understanding Collagen and Its Impact on Skin
Collagen constitutes about 75% of the dry weight of our skin. In simpler terms, it’s like the foundation that keeps everything intact. As we get older, our collagen levels start to drop, which results in noticeable changes in our skin’s appearance. For instance, after reaching 25, we lose around 1% of our collagen each year. This decline leads to less elasticity, larger pores, and, unfortunately, more wrinkles.
According to aesthetic doctor Sophie Shotter, MD, “Collagen is a key structural protein in the human body, crucial for maintaining skin’s integrity, firmness, and elasticity.”
Mercedes Abarquero Cerezo, a pharmacist and scientific medical manager at L’Oréal, points out that the cells responsible for collagen production slow down over time. Several factors can speed up this degradation, including sun exposure, diet, stress, and hormonal changes, particularly in women during menopause.
Signs Your Skin Is Losing Collagen
While losing collagen is a natural process, there are various products and treatments available to help restore its levels and boost skin elasticity. It’s essential to recognize the signs that indicate collagen depletion before consulting a dermatologist or skincare expert. Here are some key indicators to look out for.
Loss of firmness and increased sagging: You might first notice a decrease in firmness. According to cosmetic dermatologist Sam Bunting, MD, “Your skin may start feeling less resilient, with more noticeable pores as their supporting structure weakens, and gradually, the texture becomes thinner.”
Dry skin: As collagen serves as a support structure, it helps retain moisture in the skin. A drop in collagen might make your skin appear drier due to its diminished ability to retain water. Enhancing your diet, along with specific topical products, can help combat this issue.
More visible expression lines and wrinkles: With diminishing firmness from lower collagen levels, fine lines might linger even when your face is relaxed, making wrinkles more prominent.
Loss of plumpness: As your skin loses collagen, it tends to look thinner and softer, losing some of its bounce. You might notice your skin doesn’t spring back quite like it used to after gentle pressure.
Changes in face shape: Other signs of collagen loss can include thinner skin, hollowness around the eyes, alterations in face shape like narrower temples, brittle nails and hair, and even joint pain. It’s clear that collagen affects a lot more than just the skin.
Collagen and Menopause
Bunting highlights that collagen levels take a significant hit during menopause. The primary reason is the decline in estrogen, which directly supports collagen production. “As estrogen levels drop during perimenopause and menopause, collagen synthesis decreases sharply,” she notes. This may explain why many women observe a noticeable decline in skin firmness, thickness, and overall resilience during these stages of life.
