Table of contents:
- What is collagen?
- How to increase collagen in the body, especially the face
- What must be done so that collagen production is not decreased and damaged?
- 1. Stop smoking
- 2. Reduce sugary foods and drinks
- 3. Protect yourself from sun exposure
Collagen is beneficial for beauty and you cannot underestimate it. Why? Thanks to collagen, your skin can look youthful, supple, soft, and free of wrinkles. Unfortunately, collagen production in the skin, especially on the face, can decrease for several reasons. So how do you increase collagen so you stay young?
What is collagen?
Reporting from Healthline, collagen is a type of protein found in muscles, bones, tendons, and skin. This substance acts as an adhesive for the body, so that the body looks stronger.
Well, when the amount of collagen is high in the body, it will make you look younger and stronger. Unfortunately, collagen production decreases with age.
However, don't worry just yet, you can still increase the collagen levels in the body so that you look younger.
How to increase collagen in the body, especially the face
Many people rely on supplements and beauty care products to increase collagen. It is true, supplements containing collagen can help you in this. However, there are actually natural ways to stimulate this collagen production. How to?
- Eat foods high in amino acids such as milk, meat, fish and eggs.
- Consume food sources of vitamin A and vitamin C, such as fruits and vegetables.
- Eat foods that contain anthocyanins and proline, for example cheese and soybeans.
All these foods can naturally stimulate the amount of collagen in the body. However, if you really want to try collagen injections, you can too.
Yes, this synthetic collagen is incorporated into the body to make more natural collagen. Not only that, you can also use care creams that contain collagen. However, make sure that the beauty products you use are safe products and have few side effects.
You can use synthetic collagen if you are over 40 years of age. At that age, the production of natural collagen in the body will automatically decrease.
What must be done so that collagen production is not decreased and damaged?
Don't want to look old fast? In addition to doing things that can increase collagen in the body, you should also avoid things that can damage collagen and decrease the amount. Anything?
1. Stop smoking
Are you still an active smoker today? If you don't want to get old quickly, then you should give up this bad habit. Not only do you threaten your health, the substances in cigarettes will damage collagen and prevent the body from producing it.
2. Reduce sugary foods and drinks
Even if you are a fan of sweet foods, you should limit this habit. The reason is, eating too much sweet food can damage collagen. So, when your blood sugar levels increase due to eating sweets, the amount of the hormone insulin will also increase. Well, too much insulin in the body will cause the body to experience inflammation in various tissues, including the tissue that produces collagen.
3. Protect yourself from sun exposure
You probably already know that prolonged exposure to the sun will damage your skin. Yes, the ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted from the sun are the cause. UV rays can damage collagen and various amino acids which form the embryo of collagen. Therefore, it is very important to use sunscreen when doing outdoor activities.