3 myths about hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin: why can’t they be regenerated?

Collagen and elastin’s second name is “youth proteins,” so marketers like to use them in product names. However, not everything containing these magic ingredients actually helps the skin. Anastasia Dubinskaya, founder and head of the Revitonika School of Natural Rejuvenation, will tell you how not to fall into the trap of legends and what youth really depends on.

Anastasia Dubinskaya

Myth 1. Collagen declines with age, so it needs to be replenished: drink, eat, rub or inject

Primarily, the cells that make up the tissues of our body reside in a special environment called the extracellular matrix. Collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid live here and perform their functions. Collagen is responsible for strength, structure, support and stability, elastin provides firmness, stretch and elasticity, and hyaluronic acid binds water molecules and retains nutrients.

With age, protein crosslinks accumulate in the extracellular matrix – the so-called collagen and elastin molecules stick together. More and more they are present, clogging the space and preventing moisture and nutrients from reaching the cells. Gradually, the extracellular matrix liquid turns from a mobile gel into a tight, dense, lifeless mass. On the face, this process is expressed by the wrinkled and drooping appearance of the skin.

Collagen does not need to be added anywhere, as it does not decrease anywhere, but rather accumulates in the tissues disastrously. If the cells did not receive nutrition and moisture before, they will “ambush” with double pieces of collagen after collagen treatment.

Myth 2. Hyaluronic acid needs to be renewed after 25 years.

The same applies to hyaluronic acid – it does not disappear anywhere with age. And the problem is not how to add more hyaluronic acid to the skin, but how to deliver the required amount of water to the skin.

Often the loss of hyaluronic acid is confused with dehydration, and moisture is added through biorevitalization procedures. In fact, water in the extracellular matrix arises due to capillaries. Improper lifestyle, bad habits, drinking regimen and stress have a detrimental effect on the capillaries, narrowing them and preventing the penetration of water and nutrients into the extracellular space. Therefore, special attention should be paid to capillaries, and not to fashionable procedures.

Myth 3. Collagen can be updated through cosmetic procedures or dietary supplements.

Unfortunately, replenishing collagen does not work. It is not possible to make new collagen from old collagen with any cosmetic or medicinal product. Claims that nutritional supplements can restore levels in the body and reverse the aging process are unfounded. Collagen production is regulated by complex biochemical processes in the body. And popular cosmetic procedures (laser dermabrasion, fractional photothermolysis, plasma resurfacing) have many contraindications and adverse effects, so you need to weigh the pros and cons well before you go for them.

So how is the skin rejuvenated?

Belief in these legends turns the girls’ actions into youth running in a vicious circle. Rejuvenation is a physiological process and requires “building materials” to carry out regeneration and restoration. And there is only one element of structure – a good blood supply to the face and neck. Spasm will enter the bloodstream after releasing the muscles of the neck and face, which are pinched by oxygen, microelements and vitamins.

Blood circulation can be stimulated, including with the aid of massage. It activates fibroblasts (cells responsible for the functioning and repair of the skin) that synthesize collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. Therefore, good blood circulation is the key to new, healthy tissue.