We’ve all stood in front of the mirror, lifting our cheeks with our hands or pulling at our necks to lift drooping skin.
Here’s the scary reality—after the age of 20, we lose one teaspoon of facial volume and fat per decade. So by the time we hit 50, we’ve lost three teaspoons of volume.
To put that into perspective, that’s 15 syringes of filler! A little depressing, isn’t it?
As collagen starts to diminish, so does that bounce and fullness that is so common in youthful skin. And without its frame, skin starts dropping; that’s why we get loose skin and jowls.
Everywhere you look, someone is mixing collagen powder into their smoothie, frantically chugging collagen shakes, and buying up creams promising to boost collagen.
And it’s no wonder why! There’s a flood of messages telling us we need more of it NOW! We’re bombarded with commercials. Celebrities tell us our lives will be better drinking it (*cough* Jennifer Aniston). And Target aisles are lined with shiny new tubs of it.
But have you stopped mid-gulp of your collagen smoothie and asked, “What’s the deal with collagen? Why am I doing this again?”
The truth is, from a medical and aesthetic standpoint, it is a big deal!
But you might be going about boosting collagen the wrong way. So we’re going to cut through the marketing blitz and tell you:
We’re not going to bore you with nerdy science talk. What you need to know is that collagen is a protein responsible for your skin’s structure, elasticity, texture, strength, and resilience.
Sheesh, that’s a lot of responsibility riding on this protein!
Just for a second, imagine your body without bones.
That’s what skin without collagen is like. Collagen gives your skin structure and support. So when your skin doesn’t have enough of it, it starts to droop and wrinkle.
We love telling you (and really anyone who will listen) that you can absolutely boost collagen production! So you don’t have to sit back and watch as age steals precious collagen from you!
But are creams packed with collagen the best way to do it? We wish! How easy would that be? But unfortunately, collagen is too large a molecule to be absorbed through the skin.
The best way to stimulate collagen production is to injure your skin.
“Wait, what?” You probably think we’re crazy right about now, but we promise we’re not! (We’re highly-trained medical professionals, actually. #shamelessplug)
When you injure your skin, your body goes into trauma response to heal itself. As a result, it cranks up collagen and elastin production. So when you’re dealing with collagen loss, the best way to counteract that loss is with controlled injury.
The keyword here is controlled. We’re not talking about rubbing your face into the pavement; we’re talking about a professional administering precise state-of-the-art treatments that cause either heat, mechanical, or chemical injury. So what are some treatments that administer controlled injury?
Here are our three favorite treatments to stimulate collagen production:
Heat is one of the three forms of controlled injury that promote collagen production. And nothing does controlled heat safer and more effectively than IPL.
IPL Photofacial uses light energy in different wavelengths to treat a whole list of skin problems. Its primary purpose is to destroy unwanted pigments, like hyperpigmentation and rosacea. BUT, those light pulses that bust up pigment also heat the skin—a natural collagen stimulant. And that means plump, glowing skin!
We love IPL because it doesn’t break the skin and therefore requires no downtime. The treatment is under 50 minutes, and you can wear makeup the next day!
Although heat is great for ramping up our natural plumper, it also risks promoting hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. So if you sit higher on the Fitzpatrick scale, IPL isn’t a good option for you. (But don’t worry, treatment #3 on our list is for you!)
For max benefits, schedule a series of three IPL Photofacials spaced 4-6 weeks apart.
Mechanical injury is the next level up from IPL when it comes to controlled damage to the skin. It feels a little counterintuitive to be wanting more damage, doesn’t it? But when we’re talking about controlled injury, that’s the good stuff! In this case, more damage means more stimulation!
Potenza RF Microneedling is pretty special because it attacks collagen loss with mechanical injury AND heat. Microneedling uses tiny little needles to puncture the top layer of skin, and RF delivers radiofrequency energy to the lower layer of skin. This dual-action means double the stimulation! It also means minimized pores, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and acne scarring.
Microneedling creates microscopic punctures in the skin, so expect redness and sensitivity after treatment. Then 4-6 weeks later, you’ll be glowing with tighter, plump skin!
We recommend three treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart if you want all the plumping you can get.
As the name implies, Advanced Chemical Peels cause chemical injury. They peel back old layers of skin to make way for fresh, new skin; this jumpstarts cellular renewal and ramps up collagen and elastin production.
On top of promoting plumper skin, chemical peels treat fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, and acne scarring.
It is an advanced treatment that requires downtime; your skin will peel for 3-7 days. But for the inconvenience, you will be repaid in unmatched dewy, supple skin.
There are levels to chemical peels, and not every peel is right for all skin tones. That is why it’s important to see experienced professionals who know their stuff and value safety. If you’re worried about whether you’re a good candidate for a chemical peel, set up a consultation with our experts, and they’ll create a customized peel for your skin.
So there you have it: three highly effective ways to plump your face naturally without the aid of filler.
A lot of money is poured into marketing collagen products. And they’re all well and fine, but remember: aesthetic treatments use your own body’s natural processes to get you definite results.
So fight back instead of letting age and gravity bring you down!
