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.

Review of Facial Aging and Common Treatments

In this post I want to address a problem that we all must face (yes pun intended): Facial aging. Two of the primary culprits responsible for aging of the face are fat loss and bone loss, which start to become increasingly visible as early as your 30s! Over time, volume loss, sagging of the skin, and formation of deep lines and wrinkles begins to occur.  This is why early prevention is key.

The images below show how internal fat loss and gravitational changes present over time. You can see the fat and bone structure at age 35 vs 55.  

Fat pads are what give our face volume. With age these fat pads start to shrink in size and move down the face. The first signs of this tend to occur in the malar fat pad or cheek (pictured). This causes separation at the lid-cheek junction, which results in the appearance of a tear trough or under eye hollow. At the same time, bone resorption causes structural changes to our face. Loss of bony support, along with volume loss from fat pads can cause the skin to sag, as it has lost the underlying support structures. Skin elasticity also degrades as we age. Aging occurs in a downward and medial direction, which is why you can see heaviness in the nasolabial fold and jowls.

That may sound like a lot of bad news, so what can we do? … 

A comprehensive treatment plan (and the earlier the better) may be able to slow the sands of time using non-invasive treatments. Neuromodulator injections (e.g. Botox) can soften dynamic lines, fillers can replace lost volume and skin treatments such as Thermage and Ultherapy can help stimulate collagen synthesis and tighten the skin.

If you are interested in learning more about what treatments may be right for you please contact my office to book a consultation.

All About The Chest

The chest, or its fancier term décolletage, is commonly neglected when it comes to prevention and rejuvenation strategies, but it really does deserve some attention! It’s often a clear give-away of someone’s age. So what are some treatments for this area? Here is a list of some of my favourites:

1)    Complexion: Evening out the red, brown, sun spots and more on the chest is an easy first strategy. The skin on our chests is often damaged from years of exposure to the sun and unfortunately this area, like the neck, is commonly forgotten when it comes to important sun protection strategies.

a.    IPL - This is one of my favourite go tos. It can reduce redness, sun spots, and help even out discolouration.

b.    Skin Care - Don’t forget to put skin care on your chest as well!! The neck and chest skin is often more sensitive so you may need to start out every few days or even once a week to begin with for your more active products.

2)    Lines and wrinkles: If you squeeze your chest pushing from outside in you can often see long vertical wrinkles. Side sleepers (me included) get this the most!  What are some different treatment options?

a.    Sculptra - This injection can stimulate collagen and is long-lasting, looks natural, and can help soften those lines and wrinkles. It often requires more than one treatment, but the degree of improvement can be quite meaningful (see video below).

b.    Thermage or Ultherapy - This will help soften lines and lift the chest. In fact Ultherapy is formally approved for improving lines and wrinkles in this area.

c.     Hyaluronic acid filler - Soft fillers like Volite or Restylane Skin Boosters can hydrate the skin and reduce some of the more superficial lines.

The before and after photos above are following two treatments of Sculptra to the chest. There is a subtle, but noticeable improvement in the vertical lines on the V-shaped central part of her chest despite the colour difference (a little sun education was implemented from the before to the after photos as well ;)

You can watch the video below for a little more information about the use of Sculptra on the chest. If you are interested in learning more please contact our office.

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.