Collagen makes up an astounding 75% of the dry weight of the skin. In layman’s terms, it’s the scaffolding that holds it all firmly in place. As we age, our collagen levels begin to deplete, which causes visible changes within our skin. In fact, once we reach 25, we lose approximately 1% of our collagen stores each year. As the skin becomes less elastic, larger pores and wrinkles start to appear.
“Collagen is an abundant structural protein in the human body and plays a central role in maintaining the integrity, firmness, and elasticity of the skin,” aesthetic doctor Sophie Shotter, MD, previously told Vogue.
“As time goes on, the cells in charge of collagen synthesis reduce their activity,” pharmacist and scientific medical manager at L’Oréal, Mercedes Abarquero Cerezo, explains. “Factors that accelerate its degradation include sun exposure, diet, stress, and hormonal changes—especially in women during menopause.”
5 signs your skin is losing collagen
While collagen loss is natural, there are many products and treatments that can help increase levels and boost the skin’s elasticity. First, you’ll want to identify the signs that your skin is losing collagen before discussing a treatment plan with your dermatologist or skin specialist. Here, the experts break down the main things to look out for.
The first sign that your skin is losing collagen is usually noticing a difference in firmness. “Your skin begins to feel less resilient, and pores look more prominent as their supporting structure weakens, while the skin gradually becomes thinner,” cosmetic dermatologist and brand founder, Sam Bunting, MD, explains.
As the scaffolding that supports the skin, collagen aids its water-holding capacity. When your collagen levels decrease, your skin may appear drier because it has a reduced ability to retain moisture. This can be addressed through dietary changes, as well as topical products and application techniques.
Due to a loss of firmness caused by lower collagen levels, you may find that fine lines stop disappearing when your face is in a neutral position, and wrinkles are more noticeable.
Your skin will visibly look slightly thinner, softer, and less elastic as it loses collagen. You may notice that it doesn’t bounce back, as it used to when you were younger, after pressing it gently.
Other signs of losing collagen include the skin appearing thinner, the area around the eyes appearing more hollow, changes in face shape, such as narrow temples, brittle nails and hair, and even joint pain and muscle weakness. Collagen really does impact everything.
Collagen and menopause
According to Bunting, collagen levels are profoundly affected by menopause. The loss of estrogen is the main culprit. “Estrogen directly supports collagen synthesis, so as levels fall during perimenopause and menopause, collagen production drops sharply,” she explains. “This is why many women notice a significant shift in skin firmness, thickness, and resilience during this period.”
What are the early signs of collagen loss?
Bunting says that the signs are subtle to begin with. In your 30s, you may start to notice “fine lines, a slight change in texture, and that your skin doesn’t recover quite as quickly,” she explains. “By your 50s, particularly around menopause, lines are deeper, there’s visible sagging, the jawline softens, and skin is noticeably thinner, too.”
Do signs generally change with age?
The short answer is, yes. “Fine lines and texture changes in your 30s and early 40s give way to deeper lines, sagging, and visible thinning from the mid-40s onwards,” Bunting adds. Signs typically accelerate around menopause. “Women can lose up to 30% of their skin collagen in the first five postmenopausal years,” she says. “With a continued decline of around 2% per year after that.”
Is collagen loss permanent?
According to Bunting, the skin retains its ability to produce new collagen throughout your life. “A well-formulated retinoid used consistently at night is the most effective way to stimulate that,” she explains. Collagen production also requires cellular energy (and that comes from your mitochondria—which are the powerhouses of your cells). “Supporting skin energy is the next frontier in maintaining collagen long-term,” Bunting reveals.
How to slow collagen loss
Unfortunately, collagen loss cannot be avoided entirely, but it can be slowed down. Here, Abarquero Cerezo recommends the following approaches to help ease the rate of collagen loss within your skin:
- Avoid accelerating factors such as smoking and sun exposure
- Use sun protection (SPF) daily
- Get adequate rest and reduce stress
- Get regular physical exercise
- Maintain a balanced weight
- Eat a healthy, whole foods diet featuring key macronutrients, vitamins, and essential amino acids that support collagen production, such as eggs, dairy products, legumes, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, meat, and fish
- Use products with collagen-boosting active ingredients, “such as glycosaminoglycans, proxylane, peptides, cassia extract, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants such as vitamin C and niacinamide.”
Do collagen creams actually work?
Topical products containing collagen, like creams and masks, really can improve the appearance of skin—but they probably won’t prevent the actual loss of collagen within the skin. “Collagen is a molecule used in cosmetics that has a high molecular weight,” notes Abarquero Cerezo. “Therefore, its absorption is limited to the superficial layer of the skin.”
In other words, collagen creams are great for the effect they produce as they improve surface texture immediately. But, for maintaining a balance between collagen loss and repair, you’re better off sticking to the ingredients and tips listed above.
Below, an edit of Vogue’s favorite products with collagen-boosting ingredients.
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