The Decline of Collagen and How to Fight Back

Collagen

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Collagen gives skin strength and resilience. It helps skin cells renew and repair themselves and helps to keep the skin moist. When collagen levels are high, the skin is soft, smooth, and firm.

Beginning in our mid-twenties we begin to produce less collagen. Less collagen means the skin has less elasticity. This results in fine lines and wrinkles. Over time skin can also appear less plump because of a loss of fat and bone under the skin. This loss of volume eventually causes sagging.

Everyone ages a little differently, but often darkness, hollows, or even bags under the eyes are one of the first signs of aging. Smile lines or crow’s feet are other symptoms of a decline in collagen. If you are more of a worrier, you may see lines forming between your eyebrows. It’s normal to have lines when we frown or laugh, but aging skin will have faint lines that remain when the face is at rest.

Another early sign of aging is increased hyperpigmentation. These irregularities in skin color are sometimes referred to as age or sunspots.

Taking strides early on to delay the onset of aging is the best strategy. After all, it is much easier to prevent damage from happening than it is to repair damage that’s already been done. Often early signs of aging aren’t addressed until they become more substantial. Waiting like this can cost more money and time in the long run, and you’re less likely to be satisfied with the outcome of this “too little, too late” approach.

Collagen

It’s all about maintenance. If you purchased a brand-new car, you would take it in for routine oil changes and tune-ups. You wouldn’t wait until it stops running to bring it to a mechanic. Also, by tweaking small issues as they appear, you maintain a fresh and youthful look; rather than having a drastic change happen all at once one day.

Our nurse practitioner, Ashley Pontenberg, performs several services that help boost collagen and keep you looking young and fresh. The key is to treat minor concerns before they become larger, more challenging problems.

A Chemical peel can be customized for your particular skin type and improves sun damage, hyperpigmentation, acne, fine lines, scarring and more. It also stimulates the dermis to make more collagen. Combining dermaplaning with a chemical peel enhances the exfoliating and rejuvenating results of both services.

Dermaplaning is a non-invasive service that exfoliates the surface of the skin while also removing peach fuzz. It gives the skin a smooth, bright appearance, allows for greater penetration of skincare products and peels, and gives you a satiny sleek surface for makeup application.

The Oxygen Facial will oxygenate, brighten and eliminate toxins from the skin. It boosts circulation which supports collagen formation and is infused with peptides, the building blocks of collagen. This can also be combined with dermaplaning to allow for better penetration and effect. 

Collagen

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is obtained by taking a small sample of your blood and harvesting the natural growth factors in it for powerful collagen stimulation. It can be injected, applied after microneedling or stamped in with the AquaGold device. PRP plumps and tightens skin, reduces fine lines, scars, dark circles and more.  

AquaGold Fine Touch is an excellent way to restore and plump the skin from within as well as help rebuild lost collagen. It takes microneedling to the next level. A glass vial with twenty tiny gold needles at one end is used to painlessly infuse beneficial ingredients into the skin. There are several ingredients to choose from including Platelet Rich Plasma, Microbotox, and dermal fillers. Ashley will make a custom blend according to your concerns. The result is smoother, glowing skin with a reduction in fine lines, milia, acne, scars, and pores.   

PDO threads are an FDA-approved type of suture that is strategically injected under the skin to provide lift and promote the formation of collagen. They can lift jowls, a sagging neck, jawline, eyebrows and more. Barbed threads help in the fight against gravity and smooth threads help plump up thinning skin by encouraging collagen. PDO threads can be injected quickly with very little pain and require no real downtime.

Collagen

Botox relaxes key muscles in the face, discouraging hyper-mobility that leads to wrinkles over time. Many people get “preventative Botox.” Think of it like pressing “pause.” Started early enough, Botox will prevent lines from ever forming. Fine lines are softened and usually disappear, while deeper lines can require more than one treatment.

Studies show that Botox also increases the elasticity of your skin while it’s in effect. Starting Botox younger is also advantageous because over time it trains the muscles responsible for the unwanted lines to move less. Botox lasts anywhere from three to four months. Ashley has extensive training and experience using Botox in a number of different areas to help keep things smooth and lifted.

Collagen

Facial fillers correct lines, wrinkles, folds, hollows, loss of volume and provide lift. There are many different fillers available. Most are made of hyaluronic acid (a sugary substance that occurs naturally in the body and can hold 1,000 times its weight in water). What sets them apart is the way the particles of hyaluronic acid are linked together. This variation changes the density, lifting capabilities and movement of the product slightly, which gives a different result when injected under the skin.

Studies have shown that the presence of filler encourages your skin to produce more collagen. They also help in the fight against gravity; preventing the excessive sagging of skin that would otherwise lack support. Starting early with injectables also means you’ll need less product than those who wait until later in life.

Fillers also have use outside of rejuvenating the aging face. They can plump thin lips, give volume to cheeks, tweak the look of your nose, or even change the shape and size of your chin.

Collagen

Hyaluronic acid fillers usually last anywhere from six to twenty-four months. Sculptra and Radiesse are slightly different types of filler that last up to two years. Contact Artistik Beauty for more information on dermal fillers and which might be appropriate for you.  

There are several non-invasive services available to help you maintain a fresh and youthful appearance. While facial rejuvenation is a personal decision (and there are no rules about when to begin), there are several advantages to getting a head start. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Call, text, or email Artistik Beauty today to schedule an appointment!

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