Collagen decline 101: how it affects skin, joints, and hair

The decline of collagen is not dramatic; It starts quietly. Like a WhatsApp group, you loved it only sending birthday messages. One day, you bounce back from bed with elastic knees and plump skin. Then your joints make new and disturbing noises. Your hair tie wraps about three times instead of two.

What changes is collagen: the protein shaping your face, moving your joints and strengthening your hair from the root. It contains more than you think, until it is not.

It is therefore not surprising that the collagen has a moment. We stir it in a cafe, sipping it between meetings, cheap it like candies. The control you feel by reconstructing a stronger skin, smoother joints and brighter hair feels strangely comforting in a world that threatens to separate seams. The decline of collagen is the slow and structural disassembly of things that once felt unwavering and the very human desire to hold.

What is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body which; Consider it like the biological glue that maintains your firm features, your right body and your intact rebound. There are at least 28 types, but types I, II and III are the headliners:

  • Type I: Skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, represents 90% of the body collagen
  • Type II: Cartilage and joints
  • Type III: Skin, blood vessels, internal organs

Your body makes collagen by combining amino acids from protein -rich foods with the help of vitamin C, zinc and copper. But from twenty to twenty in the twenties, production is starting to drop by around 1% per year.

Like Dr. Rinky Kapoor, dermatologist consultant at aesthetic clinics, Vogue India: “The decrease is 1% each year after the twenty, and when you reach the forties, production decreases even more, displaying signs of aging.”

What does the decline of collagen look outside?

Skin: less rebound, more sagging

Collagen gives the skin its structure and firmness. As the levels drop, you start to notice:

  • Fine lines and wrinkles (classics)
  • Loss of elasticity and sample
  • Drought, dull and healing of slower wounds

“Collagen in our skin reflects a delicate balance between synthesis and degradation,” says Mercedes Abarquero Cerezo, pharmacist and chief of scientific projects at the Oréal Dermatological Beauty Spain, said Vogue Spain. “As we age, the cells responsible for the production of collagen slows down.

But, she adds, “our body is a flow system. Collagen is always broken down and is always rebuilt. The problem arises when this pace falls outside – when production drops or quality decreases. It is at this point that the visible signs of aging begin to emerge. ”

Hair: lower roots, slower growth

Collagen surrounds and supports the hair follicle. With less, you can live:

  • Hair thinning
  • Increased rupture
  • Slower growth
  • A dry or irritated scalp

Joints: cracking becomes a choir

Type II collagen absorbs your joints. When he refuses:

  • Cartilage becomes lower and thinner
  • You might feel stiffness or joint pain, especially after exercise
  • Recovery slows down, inflammation persists

It’s not just an aging problem. Athletes, dancers and anyone with history of intense physical activity can feel the effects earlier than expected.

The deeper effects: intestine, bone and mood

Collagen is also found in your intestinal lining, which is why some nutritionists connect collagen to the decline in digestive problems or increased permeability of the intestine (the fashion for fashionable). Our bones are 30% collagen, so drop levels can contribute to a decrease in bone density over time.

Emerging research Even connects collagen to mood and energy, via its role in the axis of the intestinal brain and the balance of amino acids. Science is early, but anecdotes are everywhere.

Can you slow down the decline in collagen?

You cannot stop it, for example, (unless you have discovered a time machine, in which case, please share) but you can support production and reduce the speed of decline.

Load on the right nutrients:

  • Protein (eggs, fish, chicken, tofu) for amino acids
  • Vitamin C (Amla, oranges, peppers) for synthesis
  • Zinc + copper (nuts, seeds, crustaceans) as cofactors

Avoid collagen saboteurs:

  • Sugar and ultra processed foods (They trigger glycation, damaging existing collagen)
  • Smoking + pollution (oxidative stress = collagen failure)
  • Unprotected sun exposure (UVA rays are the worst enemy of collagen)

The question of supplement: Media threshing or help?

There is proof more and more they can help, as long as your expectations are realistic. “Consumption of collagen peptides can improve hydration and reduce fine lines, wrinkles and solar stains,” said Dr Renita Rajan Vogue India. “The first results can be observed at four weeks, but maximum advantages occur during use elongated at 12 to 16 weeks.”

The formulation is important. Look for hydrolyzed collagen (also labeled like collagen peptides), which is easier to absorb, and ingredients such as vitamin C or hyaluronic acid which supports the synthesis of collagen.

This is not a unique solution, but if you are the kind of person who remembers taking his supplements most days, he could well gain his place in your routine.

Should you start a collagen construction regime?

Only if you wish. The decline in collagen is part of the human condition, not a defect to be repaired. But if you are curious to know why your skin feels different, why your joints hurt me after being sitting for too long or why your formerly plump curls feel soft, it’s worth knowing what’s going on.

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