SAVING FACE

With collagen banking being among the latest trends in skincare, Ellen Cummings gets the lowdown on what it means

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, accounting for approximately 30% of the total amount.

It’s a building block for muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues, and it can also be found in organs, blood vessels and intestinal lining. It makes up 80% of the skin’s dermis.

“Collagen is the key to maintaining youthful looking skin,” explains Victoria Evans, education manager at Dermalogica. “It provides the framework that keeps our skin taut, wrinkle-free and resilient. Collagen also aids in wound healing and tissue repair, as it forms a ‘scaffold’ for the growth of new tissue. Essentially, collagen is the foundation for glowing, healthy looking skin.”

“Providing support and structure, collagen helps maintain the skin’s firmness, elasticity and resilience,” says Andrea O’Donnell, national educator at DIBI Milano UK & Ireland. “When you’re young, collagen is abundant, making skin look plump and smooth.”

Collagen production occurs in the fibroblast cells, where the amino acids proline, glycine and hydroxyproline group together to form protein fibrils. Our bodies naturally produce less collagen as we age because of reduced activity in the fibroblasts. According to Evans, it declines at a rate of 1-1.5% per year after the age of 30, with another dip a decade later. “When we get past 40, collagen declines dramatically, particularly in the first few years of menopause, when it drops by a whopping 30%,” says Gina Baker, UK training manager at Germaine de Capuccini. “It then steadies off at 2% decline per year.”

‘Collagen production starts to decline in the mid-20s, so the idea behind collagen banking is to start skincare routines and treatments in your 20s and early 30s’

The body’s existing collagen also breaks down at a faster rate as we age. Evans points to a number of causes of collagen degradation, including UV exposure, environmental pollution, smoking, chronic stress and diet. All of this combined leads to a lack of organisation in the skin’s structure, resulting in fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin.

What is collagen banking?

The concept behind collagen banking is nothing new to beauty professionals, but, as with most trends, coming up with a catchy name is a great way to get clients on board. “Simply put, it is prevention rather than correction,” notes Baker.

“The concept of collagen banking refers to the idea of preserving and boosting your skin’s collagen levels early on in life, to maintain youthful, firm and healthy skin as you age,” says O’Donnell. “The term draws from the idea of building up a ‘reserve’ or ‘bank’ of collagen to help stave off the natural decline that occurs with ageing. The goal is to invest in your skin’s future by preventing collagen loss before the visible signs of ageing appear. Collagen production starts to decline in the mid-20s, so the idea behind collagen banking is to start skincare routines and treatments in your 20s and early 30s, even before you see visible signs of ageing.”

“There are multiple ways to bank, preserve and protect your collagen, from using skincare products to promote and protect skin collagen, to making lifestyle choices that minimise damage, such as wearing SPF daily, eating healthily and reducing stress,” notes Evans.

While some might think that applying collagen topically is a simple way to boost collagen levels in the skin, unfortunately it’s not that easy. “Collagen molecules are too large to penetrate the skin’s surface,” she says. “So, while so-called collagen creams can help with hydration and temporary plumping, they can’t actually boost the skin’s collagen levels.”

However, there are skincare ingredients that can encourage the body to produce more of its own collagen.

Rochelle Bailey, international education and events specialist at Hydropeptide, says that the best ingredients to help with collagen banking are vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, peptides and retinoids. Peptides are particularly beneficial – for example, palmitoyl pentapeptide and palmitoyl tripeptide mimic skin regeneration by signalling fibroblast cells to make collagen, while arginine lysine polypeptide acts as a sugar trap to prevent the glycation of collagen fibres, reducing collagen degradation.

Beauty and aesthetic treatments such as microneedling are another way to boost collagen production.

“Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, involves using fine needles to create tiny, controlled micro-injuries in the skin,” explains O’Donnell. “This process triggers the skin’s natural healing response, which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin – proteins essential for maintaining youthful, firm skin. The micro-injuries created by microneedling kickstart the skin's wound-healing process, causing the body to produce new collagen-rich tissue as it repairs itself. It also activates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production. This process continues in the days and weeks following treatment, leading to firmer, smoother skin over time.”

Other treatments that promote collagen production include chemical peels, radiofrequency, mesotherapy and LED light therapy. “If you are looking for a treatment without the use of a machine, facials are a perfect option to stimulate collagen in the skin,” says Bailey.

Injectable biostimulators such as Sculptra also promote collagen production, but these treatments must be performed by trained and qualified medical professionals. “Sculptra works by leveraging the power of poly-L-lactic acid to stimulate the production and quality of collagen by the tissue’s fibroblasts,” says Dr Brian Cotter, medical director at Sisu Clinic, which offers Sculptra treatments.

“Its effects gradually build over time, resulting in an increase in skin laxity, tone, texture and natural looking volume. One of the biggest effects of Sculptra is the improvement in both quality and production of the collagen made by the fibroblasts.”

‘By starting to care for collagen levels early, you can significantly delay the appearance of ageing and maintain healthier and firmer skin for longer’

Age-appropriate

The traditional view has often been that those in their 20s don’t need to worry too much about their skincare routines beyond the core principles of hydration, antioxidant protection and sun protection. However, for those clients for whom the signs of ageing are going to be a concern, it’s worth starting to take care of their collagen earlier.

“The best time to start paying attention to collagen production is in your mid-20s,” advises O’Donnell. “ This is when the body’s natural collagen production begins to decline by about 1% per year, even though the effects might not be immediately visible. By starting to care for collagen levels early, you can significantly delay the appearance of ageing and maintain healthier and firmer skin for longer.”

“All skin types can reap the benefits of collagen banking,” says Baker. “However, it’s important for the therapist to assess the correct treatment for the skin type. For instance, it would not be a good idea to perform microneedling or use strong retinol on extremely sensitive skin when LED with ferulic acid would be a more suitable option. Understanding clients’ skin is vital to get the best from collagen banking.”

“Sculptra is highly effective for those in their 30s, who are beginning to see skin and tissue changes and want to restore skin laxity,” says Dr Cotter. “In our US clinics, this is an extremely popular age bracket to begin the treatment. For many clients in their early to mid-40s, Sculptra is the ‘future-proofing’ treatment for collagen banking. It allows for replenishment and restoration of the skin’s natural processes, offsetting a heavier ageing period that is experienced during those years.”

Regular maintenance is crucial for long-term collagen banking. “Ideally, clients should have a great daily skincare routine,” says Bailey. “If they incorporate the use of peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C every day, and retinoids a few times a week, this will provide them with the perfect blend of the ingredients that are needed to support the skin’s structure.”

Having professional skin treatments every four to six weeks will also help to achieve advanced results and will support optimal skin health, according to Evans.

“A good balance of regular professional treatments, along with a quality homecare regime is an excellent strategy to maximise collagen production and maintain healthy and youthful skin,” adds O’Donnell. “Professional treatments offer deeper, more intensive collagenboosting benefits, while a consistent homecare routine will help maintain and enhance those results.”