The skin’s health is directly linked to collagen, which has the task of protecting the tissues and creating a barrier against toxins and harmful external agents.
It is the main component of hair and nails, as well as ligaments and connective tissues. More concretely, constituting a large part of the dermis, it is responsible for the skin’s compactness.
That’s why when the skin produces less collagen. It begins to lose firmness.
When do you start losing collagen and why?
Collagen production begins to decline from 25, and the first effects are noticed after 35.
With the decrease in collagen, the epithelial structure weakens, the skin appears thinner, the hair is less healthy, and the first wrinkles begin to appear.
Tendons, ligaments, and joints lose elasticity and flexibility.
Factors that accelerate the loss of collagen
- Sun exposure, smoking, pollutants, toxic substances, stress, and excessive exercise increase free radicals’ production that attacks existing collagen.
- The drop in hormones that occurs during menopause and with aging is another important factor.
- The intake of drugs that inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Benefits of collagen for men
Collagen is made up of amino acids and is found in our body’s connective tissue and animals. This compound is present in bones, muscles, cartilage, blood vessels, hair, and the skin, representing the main structural component of the dermis.
Collagen is naturally produced by our body, as it is essential for its proper functioning and tissue repair and growth. Collagen fibers form a dense network in which cells develop and reproduce, protect and support our body’s soft tissues, and bind them to our skeleton. We could say that it represents a natural adhesive that holds the parts of our body together.
Never without used as a remedy in severe skin burns and used in aesthetic medicine as a filler, collagen is an essential protein because it supports the connective tissue, thus constituting bones, muscles, and tendon ligaments.
Joint pain: articular cartilage is almost entirely composed of collagen fibers, responsible for its structure. Over time, cartilage damage and breakage can occur, causing joint pain, brittleness, stiffness, and blockages. Collagen stimulates the synthesis, production, and growth of cartilage cells: in short, to live well and play sports, it is necessary not to go below the warning levels.
A weapon against osteoporosis: collagen is also present in the bones, which, as we age, begin to lose their natural balance, becoming more fragile and more comfortable to break. Therefore, collagen is a good help to keep our skeletal system in good health in addition to calcium and vitamin because it stimulates bone regeneration by maintaining its mineral density and improving its solidity and strength.
Eye to nails and hair: Even the nails are made up of collagen, and its deficiency causes its weakening. Hair also needs collagen, which once absorbed is used by hair follicles to produce keratin, necessary for healthy, flowing hair. The collagen molecules have beneficial moisturizing and repairing effects on the hair fiber, retain water inside the hair preventing dehydration. But that’s not enough: collagen favors the increase in the hair’s diameter, making it visibly more full-bodied and thick.
The skin: collagen is the main fibrous protein in the skin. Collagen fibers provide elastin infrastructure, maintaining the skin’s elasticity and hyaluronic acid, which retains moisture. However, the natural production of collagen does not remain constant with age: starting from the age of 25 begins a slow but inevitable decrease in the production of the protein, which causes a progressive weakening and collapse of the epidermis structure. As skin cells become less active, the collagen network, which gives firmness and structure, breaks down, the skin becomes thinner and dehydrated, and the first wrinkles appear. It is as if the foundation slowly gave way, causing cracks and hollows. A disaster!
Collagen is found basically in animal meats and can be taken, for example, by tasting a good broth obtained from veal fragments and bones, or by making egg white omelets, or even eating some vegetables, including mushrooms. Vitamin C plays an important role in the production of collagen, favoring it and strengthening it. However, nutrition is not enough to provide us with the right amount of collagen because, in meat, which is the most important source, it is found in a form that is difficult to digest and assimilate: the molecular size of collagen is too large. It does not allow the protein to completely overcome the biological barriers that separate it from the blood.
The diet is insufficient to guarantee the correct supply of collagen; hydrolyzed collagen supplements can be used, obtained by a chemical process that reduces the molecules into smaller protein fragments that favor digestion and allow their more excellent absorption and efficacy.
Anti-aging treatment for men: all the benefits
Unlike women, who are generally more interested in cosmetics and beauty remedies, men tend to be more reserved and discreet and may have some difficulties choosing an anti-aging treatment for men. Among the most recommended are the supplements based on marine collagen and hyaluronic acid, available in tablets, in water-soluble powder, and in practical drinks to drink.
But why does this type of anti-aging treatment for men work? The collagen is produced naturally in the middle layer of the skin (the dermis). It strengthens connective tissues and keeps the skin elastic and toned skin. Over time, however, its production decreases, and the epidermis loses vigor and elasticity, making the first wrinkles appear. Likewise, the hyaluronic acid present in the body makes the skin more resistant and creates a protective barrier against external agents.
Over the years, however, its production decreases, and supplements compensate for this decrease by ensuring the body the levels necessary to hydrate, plump, and revitalize the face’s skin. To smooth it and make the signs of aging less visible, a simple action may not be enough, with creams and moisturizing oils. It is necessary to act from the inside, regularly taking ad hoc products based on collagen and hyaluronic acid that nourish the skin, smoothing it, and improving the tissues’ tone and firmness.