Short Answer: A fibrous protein found in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissues.
The main structural component of the lower layer of the skin (Dermis) is a protein called collagen. Bundles of collagen molecules pack together throughout the dermis, accounting for three-fourths of the dry weight of skin. Collagen is also responsible for the skin's strength. Collagen is produced by cells called fibroblasts, which are found scattered throughout the dermis.
Collagen is a connective tissue and is the cement that holds everything together-the primary mortar between the bricks of all of our smooth muscle tissues such as blood vessels, digestive tract, heart, gallbladder, kidneys and bladder, to mention just a few. Collagen, along with elastin, is a key structural component of bones, cartilage, tendons, the skin, lung tissue and blood vessels. Collagen provides structure and firmness to body tissues, while elastin provides flexibility to those same tissues.
As aging occurs, cellular proteins hook together or change shape. These changes keep the proteins from doing their jobs properly resulting in a loss of collagen and less firmness to body tissues. This process eventually leads to wrinkles. Thus, one important target of wrinkle prevention and elimination regimen is to reduce collagen breakdown and increase its supply. This task is achievable but you have to go about it in the right way.
Stimulating skin cells to produce collagen can partly reverse this process. Stimulating collagen synthesis in aged skin was shown to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.
First, vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen , a key structural protein of the skin. Adding vitamin C to a culture of skin cells (fibroblasts) dramatically increases the synthesis of collagen. Secondly, vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. So, when vitamin C is properly delivered to skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.
Please keep in mind that taking large amounts of vitamin C orally is of little benefit for reducing wrinkles because you cannot orally obtain high enough concentration of vitamin C in the skin to notably increase collagen production.
The main structural component of the lower layer of the skin (Dermis) is a protein called collagen. Bundles of collagen molecules pack together throughout the dermis, accounting for three-fourths of the dry weight of skin. Collagen is also responsible for the skin's strength. Collagen is produced by cells called fibroblasts, which are found scattered throughout the dermis.
Collagen is a connective tissue and is the cement that holds everything together-the primary mortar between the bricks of all of our smooth muscle tissues such as blood vessels, digestive tract, heart, gallbladder, kidneys and bladder, to mention just a few. Collagen, along with elastin, is a key structural component of bones, cartilage, tendons, the skin, lung tissue and blood vessels. Collagen provides structure and firmness to body tissues, while elastin provides flexibility to those same tissues.
As aging occurs, cellular proteins hook together or change shape. These changes keep the proteins from doing their jobs properly resulting in a loss of collagen and less firmness to body tissues. This process eventually leads to wrinkles. Thus, one important target of wrinkle prevention and elimination regimen is to reduce collagen breakdown and increase its supply. This task is achievable but you have to go about it in the right way.
Stimulating skin cells to produce collagen can partly reverse this process. Stimulating collagen synthesis in aged skin was shown to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.
First, vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen , a key structural protein of the skin. Adding vitamin C to a culture of skin cells (fibroblasts) dramatically increases the synthesis of collagen. Secondly, vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. So, when vitamin C is properly delivered to skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.
Please keep in mind that taking large amounts of vitamin C orally is of little benefit for reducing wrinkles because you cannot orally obtain high enough concentration of vitamin C in the skin to notably increase collagen production.