Do you enjoy wrinkled bedsheets or freshly made bed? Similarly, when it comes to skin, do you like smooth and firm skin or wrinkled, saggy skin? As we grow older, just like the sheets get wrinkled and loose, our skin undergoes various changes, leading to wrinkles and sagging. A key player in this process is collagen which is a vital protein acting like our body’s natural glue that helps keep our skin firm and elastic.
What is collagen and how does collagen production change with age?
The word collagen comes from the Greek word kolla, which means "glue". The suffix gen means "producing".
In short colla-gen means glue producing protein which is naturally available in our body. However, starting in our mid-20s, collagen production gradually declines by approximately 1% each year. By the time we enter our 40s and 50s, this reduction becomes more evident leading to visible signs of aging such as wrinkles, and loss of skin firmness.
When we are young, our skin is like a new, stretchy rubber band—it snaps back quickly after being stretched. Until it doesn’t! All thanks to the process of ageing
Ageing is not an issue, but premature ageing is!
While ageing is natural and gradual changes in the body as we get older, like wrinkles, gray hair, decreased muscle mass, and slower metabolism all happen at a typical pace; premature ageing is not natural and it totally depends on our lifestyle choices.
When noticeable signs of ageing appear much earlier than usual, often due to lifestyle factors like excessive sun exposure, poor diet, smoking, or genetic conditions, that’s when you know you are ageing faster than usual.
Collagen loss is a primary cause of premature ageing because it weakens skin's structure and function. With current lifestyle choices here’s how we are accelerating collagen loss and skin elasticity:
Certain habits which can speed up the loss of collagen:
Healthy habits to support collagen production:
TBH if you are going to use your bedsheet regularly, it will become wrinkled. So just like you wash and care for your bedsheet, your skin also deserves extra care. Over time your skin naturally gets wrinkled and loses elasticity :( But with a healthy lifestyle and correct skincare routine it can help you prevent premature ageing.