Collagen is a major component of your skin. It plays a role in strengthening skin, plus may benefit elasticity and hydration. As you age, your body produces less collagen, leading to dry skin and the formation of wrinkles. The function of collagen in wound repair and scar formation is a crucial aspect of this vital protein that helps keep our skin healthy and vibrant. Especially, cosmetics industries have benefitted greatly by promoting collagen in their health and skin care products.
Continue learning more about the role of collagen in human body as well as discovering further the clinically-proven solution for scar management in correlation with collagen.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, accounting for about one-third of its protein composition. It’s one of the major building blocks of bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen is also found in many other body parts, including blood vessels, corneas, and teeth. You can think of it as the “glue” that holds all these things together. In fact, the word comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue, says Healthline.
Why is collagen important?
Collagen is secreted by various cells, but mainly by connective tissue cells. It is found in the extracellular matrix. This is an intricate network of macromolecules that determines the physical properties of body tissues. A macromolecule is a molecule containing a large number of atoms. In the dermis, or the middle layer of skin, collagen helps form a fibrous network of cells called fibroblasts, upon which new cells can grow. It also plays a role in replacing and restoring dead skin cells.
Some collagens act as protective coverings for delicate organs in the body, such as the kidneys. With age, the body produces less collagen. The structural integrity of the skin declines. Wrinkles form, and joint cartilage weakens.
Collagen type I is responsible for giving our skin its elastic, durable nature and supple appearance. When it comes to skin repair and scar formation, collagen plays an integral role in promoting new tissue growth at the wound site. Scar tissue is on average 20 percent weaker than pre-damaged skin; so even though this protein is known to promote strength in our vital organs, it begins to break down as we age or undergo trauma.
Women experience a dramatic reduction in collagen synthesis after menopause. By the age of 60 years, a considerable decline in collagen production is normal.
Collagen in scar formation
WebMD indicates that scars form when the dermis (deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged. The body forms new collagen fibers (a naturally occurring protein in the body) to mend the damage, resulting in a scar. The new scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding tissue. Scars form after a wound is completely healed.
There are different kinds of scars. Most scars are flat and pale. However, in cases when the body produces too much collagen, scars can be raised. Raised scars are called hypertrophic scars or keloid scars. Both of these kinds of scars are more common in younger and dark-skinned people.
Some scars can have a sunken or pitted appearance. This kind of scarring occurs when underlying structures supporting the skin (for example, fat or muscle) are lost. Some surgical scars have this appearance, as do some scars from acne.
Scars also can appear as stretched skin. Such scars result when the skin stretches rapidly (for example, as in growth spurts or during pregnancy). In addition, this type of scar can occur when the skin is under tension (near a joint, for example) during the healing process.
The effects associated with collagen loss and old age cannot be reversed, only modified or temporarily allayed. However, when it comes to skin hydration and scar reduction, products that work with the skin’s natural levels of collagen can have great benefit. One such product is topical silicone for post-operative scar care.
Silicone gel technology for scar management
Silicone gel has been used in scar management since the 1980s with many clinical studies. Silicone-based products were deemed as the first-line, gold standard therapy for scar management and have shown efficacy in both prevention and treatment of keloids and hypertropic scars.
Silicone gel technology for scar management works through two mechanisms of action: dermal hydration and collagen regulation. Topical silicone gel increases hydration of stratum corneum and thereby facilitates regulation of fibroblast production and reduction in collagen production. As a result, the appearance of scars improves: they become lighter, more pliable, and they flatten. It still allows skin to “breathe”.
Silicone gel heals scars by balancing the expression of growth factors. Certain growth factors stimulate fibroblasts to synthesize more collagen and other growth factors increase the level of collagenases which break down the excess collagen. Silicone gel regulates these growth factors to normalize collagen synthesis.
Nourisil™ MD Silicone Scar Gel from Fagron contains a unique blend of 5 silicones and Vitamin E to help heal the abnormal scars. Nourisil™ MD is ultra-light, transparent, self-drying silicone gel, which is proven to flatten, soften and smooth scars, relieve the itching, pain and discomfort of scars and reduce any associated redness.
You don’t have to live with unwanted scarring. Try silicone-based scar products supplied by DTPmedical today and see the difference!