Why Collagen Matters
You’ve seen and heard many different things about the term “collagen” before. But with so many people and sources talking about it, sometimes it’s confusing to understand. What exactly is collagen and why does our body need it? How important is collagen to my health and how can I benefit from collagen supplements or procedures? Here’s why collagen matters.
Table of Contents
What is Collagen?
Ultimately, collagen is a protein that’s naturally produced by your body. Found in bones, skin and muscles, collagen is essentially the protein that keeps your body’s structure and acts as connective tissue. It’s known as the most abundant protein in your body, comprising around one-third of the protein your body produces. There are two main different types of collagen that you’ll want to be aware of, including endogenous collagen and exogenous collagen.
Endogenous collagen is the one that’s naturally produced by your body, while exogenous collagen is not natural but is used for many medical and cosmetic functions. Both are important and can have many benefits, so it’s important to understand the difference between the two.
The endogenous collagen in your body has many functions, including forming a network of cells in your skin to promote new cell growth. Even more, endogenous collagen helps to restore the skin cells that have died.
The exogenous collagen that’s used by many medical professionals is synthetic and has many uses as well. Collagen is ultimately used in medical and cosmetic instances as a restorable function, so it can basically replace the collagen that your body lost due to age or some other event. Exogenous collagen comes from humans or animals and it has a range of uses, including skin fillers, fixing wounds, regenerating tissue, treating arthritis and other issues. It can be used to help rebuild collagen that your body has lost through injury or age.
Benefits of Collagen
Improves the Health of Skin
Seeing as collagen is the most abundant protein in your skin, it’s responsible for improving the strength of your skin as well as its elasticity. Furthermore, it’s capable of further hydrating your skin and preventing the appearance of wrinkles or fine lines.
Collagen may also have the ability to prevent acne from occurring and also cure other skin ailments over time. By stimulating your body’s production of collagen, your skin will improve in appearance and health.
