- Women who smoke cigarettes prematurely age their faces by about 10 years. A mechanism of tobacco-induced skin aging is impaired collagen synthesis. Tobacco also stimulates enzymes that degrade skin collagen.
- Another proven way to destroy collagen is exposure to ultraviolet radiation, be it from the sun or tanning beds.
- Each year, adults lose about 1% if their skin collagen, which contributes to thinning and wrinkling. Whiles this may not seem like a lot, after several decades individuals may lose half the skin collagen they had at the age 18.
To avoid this damages, patients can supplement with vitamin C and pine bark extract to promote collagen biosynthesis and suppress enzymes that destroy the skin’s collagen matrix.
Astaxanthin also suppresses collagen-damaging enzymes and inflammatory markers, with clinical data showing delayed skin aging.
An often overlooked factor in skin aging is the cross-linking of collagen caused by glycation. Even a modest, oral dose of carnosine has been shown to improve objective measures of skin appearance in women.
Cosmetic surgery is surging because maturing people are refusing to appear outwardly older. What too many neglect, however are nutrients that have been shown to help rejuvenate aging skin from within.
