Have you been considering Botox, fillers, or even a surgical facelift, but don’t want to deal with the discomfort, recovery time, or looking “overdone?” While the right dermatologist can alleviate most of those concerns, there’s something appealing about the idea of letting your body’s natural processes do the work. As we age, though, the muscles, proteins, and fat that help our skin look plump and youthful need a little extra help to keep us looking young. That’s where laser collagen remodeling comes in. Like other non-invasive cosmetic procedures, it gives you the rejuvenated, refreshed look you’re wanting without the downtime.
Collagen: What It Is and Why It Depletes with Age
You’ve probably heard of supplements or treatments that contain collagen and are sold as anti-aging treatments. That’s because collagen is a connective protein that forms the foundation of our skin, helping it look smooth, firm, and maintain its elasticity. When we’re young, our body works overtime to keep the protein in production, but the process begins to slow down as we age, sometimes as early as 25. As production slows, we begin to see the hallmark signs of aging: sagging, wrinkles, and a dulled complexion.
While genetics play a role in collagen maintenance, there are steps you can take to help protect your existing collagen from further degradation. UV rays are a common culprit, so make sure you’re keeping your skin protected with SPF. Diet can also play a role, as sugars tend to breakdown protein over time. Keep sweets to a minimum. Finally, be sure to practice good skincare. Wash, moisturize, and exfoliate with products that are both effective and full of skin nurturing ingredients.
It’s important to note, also, that while collagen production does slow down with age, it never stops completely. When your skin is injured, your body temporarily increases the amount of this protein it makes to help protect your body from further damage by rebuilding the skin. This is why fresh skin after an injury is pink, soft, and firm.
Laser Collagen Remodeling
SPF and skincare routines can certainly be helpful, but there may come a point where your collagen production is still leaving a lot to be desired. To understand how Laser collagen remodeling can help with a short, non-invasive procedure that encourages natural collagen production without the risk of looking overdone.
As we mentioned earlier, your body is still capable of producing an abundance of collagen, but will only do so if it believes that you have been injured. Laser collagen remodeling essentially “tricks” your skin into believing that it has experienced damage. When the laser hits the inner layers of skin, it creates controlled “tissue disruptions,” rearranging the collagen fibers enough that they begin to remodel themselves into a stronger, more protective structure.
As the collagen layers continue to build on themselves, they give more structure to the skin, smoothing out wrinkles, fighting back against sagging, and renewing that beautiful, youthful glow you’ve been searching for.
In addition to lasers to stimulate collagen formation, our medical grade skin care products including the AHA’s, PHA’s, retinoids and Vitamin C have been proven to increase collagen production. Also, chemical peels are another great way to simulate collagen production. All of these procedures can be combined to give you the best results.
Want to feel rejuvenated without going under the knife? Chat with one of the skincare experts at Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Institute. We are happy to help you explore your options for increasing and maintaining collagen production for beautiful, youthful skin, no matter your age.
