Boost Your Collagen - What Works and Doesn't

You have probably heard that collagen is important for healthy skin but what exactly is it, how does it work, and how do you boost it? Let’s review...

Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body that supports a number of things, including providing structure to our skin. As we age we naturally lose collagen and our bodies produce less. Collagen loss begins in our 20s and we lose on average 1% per year. This can lead to sagging skin and wrinkles.  

There are a number of things that have evidence showing they help to stimulate collagen, including the use of topical retinoids, certain in-office treatments that either “wound” or heat the skin to trigger a healing response that produces collagen, and the use of certain substances (biostimulators) injected into the skin. Sun protection is also important to preserve existing collagen. ️

What about oral collagen supplements? Collagen is formed naturally in our bodies by breaking down dietary proteins into amino acids, which build chains that in turn create collagen. So  ingested collagen will be broken down as any other protein would and must then be “re-assembled”. However, even if new collagen is produced, there are many types of collagen in our bodies and there is not a clear pathway for ingestible collagen to translate specifically into collagen in our skin. More research is definitely needed! 

Collagen applied topically in creams is also not going to penetrate the skin and act as new collagen under the surface. If you are looking for topical options, retinoids have the most evidence. Other topicals that may help are antioxidants like Vitamin C, growth factors and peptides.

Probably the most direct way to stimulate collagen production in the skin would be in-office treatments including microneedling, laser and light based treatments such as IPL, radiofrequency and ultrasound based technologies, and injectable biostimulators including Sculptra and Radiesse. ⚡️

So if you are looking for ways to increase (and preserve) your collagen, know that there are options available. I would recommend talking to an aesthetic specialist to learn more about what may be right for you.

All About The Neck

Don’t forget about your neck! While we often focus on our face, it’s important to focus on prevention and rejuvenation strategies for the neck as well.

The following are some of my favourite neck treatments:

1)  Skin Care:   I always remind patients how much the sun can contribute to photoaging and that even as we remember to sunscreen our face, we often forget our neck. Remembering to apply your skin care and sunscreen to your neck and décolletage is a great first step.

2) Complexion:

a.    Microneedling - I like this for fine lines and crepey skin. You will need multiple treatments to see improvement.

b.    IPL - This can help with discolouration which is common especially on the more sun-exposed sides of the neck. In fact though the dermatological term is poikiloderma, the layman’s description is chicken skin  where you see red, white and brown colour change and some textural differences. So evening out the skin colour with IPL can definitely make a difference.

3)    Tightening:

a.    Thermage and Ultherapy - Both of those treatments can help to stimulate collagen and tighten and lift the neck. The results are longer lasting and preventative all at once.

4)    Lift and reduce neck banding: Many people get wrestler neck when they strain their neck and while those bands at rest may not seem like a big deal, the platysma muscle is one of the major depressor of the lower face and can contribute to the dreaded jowl and downturned lip corners.

a.    Neuromodulators ie. Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin - can all be used to treat the platysma muscle, lift the neck and contribute to a more defined jawline. This is known as the Nefertiti lift.  

5)    Necklace lines or “tech neck”: These are often genetic and we are also seeing these lines pop up more on social media and because of social media as everyone looks down at phones and devices contributing to those accordion like lines.  

a.    Juvederm Volite or Restylane Skin Boosters: These softer hyaluronic acid fillers can gently soften the lines on the neck.

Check out this amazing before and after of my patient whose necklace lines were softened with hyaluronic acid filler directly into the lines in combination with skin tightening of the lower face and neck.

Make Yourself “No Makeup” Beautiful

This post was originally published on the Carruthers & Humphrey blog.

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During this year’s “awards season” it became clear that the new beauty trend among Hollywood celebrities is to achieve a natural look with minimal makeup. Meanwhile the hashtag #nomakeup has been trending across social media, with everyone from Cindy Crawford to Kim Kardashian to Beyonce posting selfies to show off their makeup-free looks. The move toward less makeup, or no makeup at all, is refreshing to see.

A key message from this movement is to embrace your natural beauty without the need to alter your appearance. Of course many people wonder if they can pull it off and may want to improve their skin tone and complexion before going makeup-free.

At Carruthers & Humphrey, we strive to deliver natural looking results that give our patients greaterconfidence in the appearance of their skin. While every patient receives a customized treatment plan, for those looking to go makeup-free there are a few common treatments that may be utilized to help create that effortless look.

1. Skin care – A proper skin care routine is vital to keeping skin looking refreshed. There are a number of products that can help give your skin a healthy glow, but I will highlight a few. Topical vitamin A, known as retinol, can be helpful to minimize fine lines, reduce brown spots and improve acne. Specific formulations of topical vitamin C can act as potent antioxidants and can protect the skin against damage from UV. Sunscreen daily and sun protection strategies are also essential to maintaining healthy skin.  It is important to get into a routine with skin care to protect the skin, prevent those signs of aging and help you get that makeup free look.
2. Lasers and light-based therapies: There are a few different options that can help you achieve your no-make up look. Clear + Brilliant is a non-ablative laser that is helpful for reducing unwanted pigmentation, while also improving pore size and skin texture. Excel V is a different laser that is commonly used to reduce redness and the appearance of blood vessels. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) also known as a photofacial can reduce pigment, redness, even out the skin town and help to create that healthy glow. These treatments all tend to have minimal downtime. There can be some immediate redness and swelling following the procedure, but this typically subsides within a day or two up to a week or so. Once this subsides the skin will appear smoother and clearer.
3. Skin Tightening: There are now some great non-invasive options to lift and tighten the skin. Ultherapy utilizes ultrasound while Thermage relies on radiofrequency, but both achieve similar outcomes by triggering a natural process known as neocollagenesis that strengthens existing collagen and stimulates new collagen production that is essential for healthy skin. The results are generally seen over 2-3 months as the process of neocollagenesis takes effect. The results can be long-lasting  Both of these procedures are popular due to minimal patient downtime.

By taking both corrective and preventative actions for your skin you can have the confidence to go #nomakeup.