Does collagen help with cellulite and skin tightening?
LipoTherapeia® Plus: Discover our advanced skin tightening and cellulite treatments in London, based on the strongest SAFE technologies in the world (deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation followed by high-power LED phototherapy) and on more than two decades of experience and more than 20,000 cellulite sessions. Treatment provided with our exclusive science-based protocols, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
Collagen, elastin, adipose tissue, skin firmness and cellulite
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline: the role of key aminoacids in collagen
Collagens type I, III, IV and VI
Collagen damage and degradation: glycation and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
Balanced, gradual skin tightening vs destructive barbaric methods
Collagen and elastin boosting skincare / cellulite creams
Collagen and elastin boosting nutritional supplements
Elastin and collagen boosting exercise
Elastin and collagen boosting skin treatments
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the cellulite experts
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Connective tissue, skin firmness, skin elasticity and cellulite
Many of our clients ask us a lot of questions about collagen, elastin, skin tightness, skin elasticity, collagen powders, skin tightening treatments and creams, how to increase skin elasticity, and of course, cellulite.
Here is a concise guide on collagen, elastin and how these proteins affect skin firmness, elasticity and cellulite.
Skin is made primarily of rigid protein-based fibres such as collagen and fibronectin and elastic protein-based fibres, such as elastin and fibrillin. Collagen and fibronectin give firmness/tightness to skin and other tissues, while elastin and fibrillin provide elasticity.
To understand the difference between firmness and elasticity, consider collagen to be the cotton fibres in elastic jeans that make them hard and resilient; and elastin to be the elastane fibres, that make jeans elastic. Collagen/cotton, in our examples, is needed in higher amounts and elastin/elastane is needed in smaller amounts.
Glycine, proline, hydroxyproline: the role of key aminoacids in collagen
Of all those proteins, collagen is the most common protein in skin and connective tissue, composed primarily of the aminoacids glycine, proline and hydroxyproline (the latter is only found in collagen).
This is why consuming a hydrolysed collagen (collagen peptide) protein powder is much more specific to skin than consuming a whey or a vegan protein powder: because it contains a higher concentration of glycine, proline and hydroxyproline at a ratio 2:1:1, which is close to human skin’s ratio of 3:1:1.
This is not to say that whey protein is bad, it’s just that collagen peptide protein (or a vegan equivalent) is superior for skin care.
Collagens type I, III, IV and VI
All these connective proteins (collagen, elastin, fibrillin, fibronectin etc) are secreted by fibroblasts, i.e. what people call “collagen cells”. Some of these proteins are secreted to a lesser extent by other cells, including adipocytes (fat cells).
There is not just one collagen but a good 28 of them. Most collagen fibres comprise several collagen types with different collagen types being found in different tissues.
However, collagen type I is the most common in the body: 90% of all collagens in the human body are type I.
Skin is specifically rich in collagen type I (hard collagen) and collagen type III (soft collagen) but some parts of the skin may be rich in collagen type IV (e.g. the dermal-epidermal junction).
Adipose tissue is known to also contain collagens type IV and collagen type VI, in addition to collagens type I & III.
Yes, fat has its own collagen that plays an important role in what we call firm fat vs loose fat or soft cellulite vs hard cellulite.
Collagen damage and degradation: glycation and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
Collagen can be damaged by a process called glycation, whereby sugars cross links with collagen proteins in an unnatural way, which leads to tissue degradation and inflammation.
Furthermore, a group of enzymes, called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) break down collagen, as part of the normal remodelling / healing / recycling processes in the body. Without MMPs damaged collagens would not be removed by the body and scars wouldn’t properly heal.
Collagen I is mainly broken down by MMP-1 and MMP-2
Collagen III is broken down mainly by MMP-1 and MMP-8
Collagen II, found in cartilage, is preferentially broken down by MMP-13
Denatured (damaged) collagens and collagen IV are mainly degraded by MMP-2 and MMP-9
Too much MMP activity make tissues looser. Too little MMPs lead to hardened skin and fibrosis.
Too little collagen type I also means looser skin. Too much collagen type I, especially misaligned collagen and with not much elastin, as seen in scar tissue, means hardened skin and fibrosis.
As with everything else, balance / equilibrium is the key word.
Balanced, gradual skin tightening vs destructive, barbaric methods
This notion of balance becomes important when you consider those barbaric aesthetic skin tightening procedures provided with anaesthesia (numbing creams, anaesthetic injections or whole body anaesthesia) that aim to firm up the skin by cauterising / burning it first in order for it to hopefully improve later (e.g. extreme intensity HIFU, RF microneedling, extreme intensity RF, laser liposuction, vaser liposuction etc).
This leads to lots of scar tissue and fibrosis, due to too much misaligned collagen type I and very little collagen III, elastin and fibrillin.
In contrast to the “slash and burn” destructive skin tightening approaches, the balanced way is to stimulate collagen and elastin production gradually with a natural method that will lead to functional collagen and elastin networks.
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and high-power ultrasound cavitation are the best such methods known today.
Collagen and elastin boosting skincare and cellulite creams
A good skincare / anti-cellulite cream, rich in natural actives that aim to stimulate collagen can be useful in helping achieve a firm, elastic, smooth skin, naturally:
Asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, madecassoside, from gotu kola, are known to stimulate collagen synthesis and collagen remodelling
Cocoa flavanols are known to stimulate elastin synthesis
Hydroxyproline is known to stimulate collagen synthesis
EGCG, from green tea, and curcumin (from turmeric) are known to protect collagen and stimulate collagen remodelling
Chlorogenic acid is known to protect collagen from glycation
Almost all polyphenols in general, including the ones above, help protect collagen and elastin from glycation and excessive MMP action, and help stimulate their synthesis.
Sure, most skincare/cellulite creams contain infinitesimal amounts of active ingredients, with manufacturers make up the difference with silicones and “skin conditioning” chemicals - and lots and lots of marketing. And this is why most such creams don’t work.
But a small number of skincare/cellulite creams do contain such ingredients in proper concentrations.
Collagen and elastin boosting nutritional supplements
5-20g per day of collagen peptide (hydrolysed collagen) powder will offer a great boost to the body’s collagen skin levels
Vegan collagen powders contain normal vegan protein with the added peptides glycine, proline and hydroxyproline at a ratio 2:1:1, and are almost as good as the non-vegan variety
One of the most important functions of vitamin C is to mediate in collagen production. So eat your oranges, and if possible have some vitamin C, up to 1,000mg per day (more is not necessary).
Polyphenols, as mentioned above, and especially flavonoids (a class of polyphenols), are very important in protecting collagen and elastin and boosting their synthesis. In addition to gotu kola, cocoa flavanols, EGCG, turmeric and chlorogenic acid mentioned above, there are pine bark extract, grape seed extract, grape vine leaf extract, quercetin, rutin and hesperidin, among others, that help strengthen skin and blood vessels by supporting collagen and elastin.
(Disclaimer: always consult your healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements)
Elastin and collagen boosting exercise
Exercise, especially exercise that involves some vibration, is proven to help with collagen and elastin synthesis in the fibroblasts, via a process called mechanotransduction.
Walking, running, power plate training and most sports (tennis, football, netball etc) provide valuable vibration to your fibroblasts, stimulating them to synthesise collagen and elastin.
Static exercise on the other hand, such as yoga and pilates have minimal effect in this regard.
Resistance exercise, although largely static, stands somewhere inbetween, as it has an overall whole body anabolic effect. This is because it indirectly stimulates skin collagen production but not as much as interval running, for example.
With swimming there is no vibration, but there is the micromassage of water on the skin, which in the end does stimulate collagen and elastin. Longtime swimmers have very firm skin, in general.
Elastin and collagen boosting skin treatments
As mentioned above, there are plenty of purported skin treatments that promise collagen synthesis and skin tightening.
There are the ineffective and unsafe destructive treatments, mentioned above, which stimulate scar tissue after tissue burning at 60-90º C, which I find downright stupid, from both a safety and an effectiveness point of view.
And then there are the collagen stimulating treatments:
Low-intensity and/or superficially-acting stimulating treatments are also a waste of time (and when provided by untrained people can also cause injury)
High-intensity, deep-acting stimulating treatments, which provide deep, strong stimulation for growth, but not strong enough to cause tissue damage
The best safe stimulating treatments for collagen production are:
In capable hands, these stimulating treatments have a 99.5% safety rate, or better, and offer the best collagen synthesis/remodelling and elastin synthesis potential.
Together with a healthy lifestyle, exercise, healthy nutrition and a concentrated skin firming / cellulite cream, these treatments offer the best solution for fast, natural, functional collagen and elastin synthesis, and thereby anti-ageing, cellulite reduction and skin tightening.
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.
This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.
As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.
Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.
We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic.
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, LED phototherapy, cellulite and skin tightening?
Attend a half-day, 1-day, 2-day or 3-day one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.
Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.
Learn more or check prices and book training at our London clinic or via Zoom.
