You may have heard the term thrown around regarding ageing, but the true significance of collagen is often overlooked. This protein is the building block of healthy skin , hair, nails and bones, and is the key to youthful-looking and healthy skin. Once we turn 25, we start to lose around one per cent of collagen every year, “the result of this is typically more visible in the skin as it loses elasticity,” notes Heeral Patel, health and science editor at Holland & Barrett , “but it can also affect other areas of your body, for example the cartilage in our bones can also begin to weaken as collagen production slows.
” Celebrities have jumped on the collagen bandwagon – with the release of actress’ Kate Hudson ’s InBloom supplement range and Jennifer Aniston ’s peptides powder that she swears by – but are these fads? We spoke to experts on the key things you should know about collagen before introducing it to your beauty routine. 1. What is collagen? Collagen is a structural protein that makes up about 30% of the human body’s total protein.
“Most hard and soft tissues in your body are primarily made up of collagen protein from your tendons to your gums,” says Patel. “It is also found within the bones, skin, and ligaments, in addition to blood vessels, corneas, and teeth.” There are 28 different types of collagens, explains famed physician influencer, Dr Nora Jaafar, “type 1-3 are the most common, and type 1 and type 3 are the ones found in skin.
The .