May 26, 2022

How do we lose Collagen

When we talk about the skin, an indispensable and essential protein always gets mentioned. This protein is called Collagen. It is responsible for making the skin fresh, young, radiant and vibrant because it has properties that can strengthen the skin and make it healthy. Additionally, it also has power to provide hydration and elasticity to the skin. 

However, our body is not always high in collagen because collagen may be lost. This may either be due to poor collagen production or lack of collagen which often lead to a serious deterioration in the skin’s overall health and condition. Either of these inevitably leads to the skin’s appearance becoming dull and old. Worse, our skin can become susceptible to skin conditions and diseases such as wrinkles, fine lines, acne scars, and many more!

Collagen loss or poor collagen production can be caused by so many external as well as internal factors. Here are the top 5 causes that diminish our collagen in the body as well as the ability of our body to produce collagen. 

Sun Damage

Sun damage is a common culprit to many skin diseases and skin conditions. Of course, it is also responsible for the loss of collagen in our skin. This is because sun damage is mainly caused by ultraviolet rays which are so strong and intense that they can penetrate our skin’s natural barrier even if the skin is moisturized, and cause damage deep within the layers of the skin. In fact, ultraviolet rays are the main cause of skin cancer and other skin conditions. When they cause damage deep in our skin, our skin’s ability to produce collagen is compromised and the existing collagen are fried and destroyed by these ultraviolet rays. 

Smoking

Smoking tobacco is incredibly unhealthy for both the body and the skin. One of its main impacts on the skin is its ability to disintegrate collagen through one of its properties called neutrophils. Additionally, smoking can disturb the flow of nutrients and oxygen that are essential for collagen production. 

Aging

A natural and unavoidable reason for the loss of collagen is aging. As we age, our body becomes more frail. Our body inevitably slows down and everything inside our body starts to gradually perform effectively. This of course includes our skin’s ability to produce collagen. 

In certain extreme cases, especially when we get really old, our skin totally stops producing collagen which leads to wrinkles and fine lines that appear as we age. 

Stress

Collagen production and collagen are also negatively affected by stress. When our body and our mind are at stress, our skin reacts directly and begins to function poorly. This is especially true when the stress is repetitive and constant. And while most stress happens mentally, stress like lack of sleep, can also play a part in collagen loss and poor collagen production.

Diet

Generally, a poor diet is very unhealthy for the skin. While most skin conditions and skin diseases can be attributed to poor diet, poor diet can also be a factor of poor collagen production and even collagen loss. This is because some diets, especially those high in sodium, are intensely aggressive in attacking the skin through dehydration and they are also responsible for breaking down collagen. Some of these diets also include those high in sugar as well as processed carbohydrates. These foods can diminish the number of collagen incredibly that it works up the skin twice or even thrice its normal rate. Since these are unhealthy diets, our skin does not receive proper nutrients and vitamins needed for collagen production and so, it results into poor production of collagen.