There’s a secret ingredient in our skin that makes it soft like cashmere, bouncy like a trampoline, and pinchable like pizza dough. That miracle component? Collagen, the protein that gives your skin structure and helps it snap back like a rubber band. We gradually lose this precious resource every year, but in a perfect world, we would be able to dip into our supply like an endless savings account, or at the very least, we would be able to store it up, like a squirrel stuffing its cheeks with acorns to prepare for winter. It might sound outlandish, but it’s not far off. Some doctors think we might actually be able to save our collagen for later, thanks to a concept called “collagen banking.”
According to Amir Karam, MD, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and founder of KaramMD, collagen banking aims to stimulate your body to make excess collagen so that you have it on reserve as you age. “Collagen improves skin elasticity, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and combats thinning skin, resulting in firmer, smoother, and more resilient skin over time,” Karam says.
Though there are nearly 30 different types of collagen in our skin, we’re really only considering two kinds here: type I and III. Sara Hogan, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and founder of Cosmedica Dermatology, explains that these types spearhead tissue regeneration and are responsible for your skin looking tighter.
If we lose about one percent of our collagen per year, according to experts and related studies, then ideally, we would want treatments that help us store that amount or more, to soften the blow. Unfortunately, doctors say there’s no real way to measure how much collagen treatments are able to save as the efficacy changes from person to person. Still, if you’re serious about cashing in on your supply, some treatments work better than others.
These collagen-savers range from small, every day measures to more drastic interventions. In the former category is skin care. Karam says that using active ingredients that penetrate skin like retinoids, vitamin C, niacinamide, and peptides can encourage collagen production. Neutrogena even has a Collagen Bank moisturizer, which is packed with bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol alternative. Retinoids in particular have been shown to increase collagen production after four to six months of consistent use, according to Hogan.
One thing that likely won’t move the needle either way is consuming collagen powders. Hogan notes that there is some emerging evidence that these supplements may indirectly help your skin, as the collagen you consume gets broken down into proline, a building block for making collagen, in your system. But it’s an unreliable investment to make before there’s more research available.
The biggest enemy to your own collagen bank account is the sun. “The easiest low-hanging fruit when it comes to collagen banking is sunscreen,” says Hogan, who advocates for using a broad spectrum one with SPF 30 or higher every day.
Anyone can have a solid skin care routine, but if you really want to bank your collagen, consider in-office treatments your traditional savings accounts. One such treatment is microneedling, which uses tiny needles to penetrate the skin and encourage collagen production, though this will differ from person to person. “Think of it as aerating a lawn,” says Hogan, who explains that microneedling creates selective injuries on the skin. “It stimulates collagen at a deeper layer of the skin, so you improve skin laxity and firmness,” says David Kim, MD, a dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York City.
To go even deeper, Kim recommends Ulthera, a device that uses ultrasound waves to penetrate the skin. “Ulthera can go anywhere between four to 4.5 milliliters, where you’re beyond the skin, beyond the fat, and you’re on a layer called the SMAS, the superficial musculoaponeurotic system,” he says. “That’s the layer that a lot of plastic surgeons pull for a face lift. So by stimulating collagen at a deeper layer, right above the muscle, you get a gentle lift.”
If you’re looking for something more like a collagen index fund, or a steady way to save with no unexpected dips, certain injectables like Radiesse and Sculptra can actually, reliably facilitate new collagen production. These are called biostimulatory fillers, and they behave differently than hyaluronic acid fillers that plump lips or fill out cheeks. “When they’re injected in the plane where collagen is, like the deep dermis or sub-dermis, those [fillers] stimulate local collagen production, making you have more,” Hogan says.
Lasers like Fraxel, CO2, and Clear + Brilliant can also help skin produce collagen. Hogan says that they work best with a series of treatments. Even so, Kim says that he’d try other remedies before turning to lasers for collagen banking. “I would focus more on microneedling, Ulthera, and Sculptra than lasers.”
Kim helped me figure out my own skin investment plan. I’m a busy person in my late 20s who doesn’t have time to look like Samantha Jones when she got a chemical peel. Kim says Ulthera doesn’t have much downtime, so I’d want to start there. “You may have a little bit of swelling,” he says. “Your jaw will feel tender, but it’s once a year, and then you’re not going to be red and swollen, and your skin’s not going to scab.” From there, I’d want to try Sculptra injections. “You can really tailor it to your needs. It’s an injectable, so you can kind of shape the face that you want and try to restore your volume and keep it lifted.” If I found myself with more time on my hands to heal, then I could try microneedling with radio frequency.
At the end of the day, we can’t stop the clock. Unlike our actual savings accounts (hopefully), our collagen will continue to deplete as we age. But with smart, targeted treatments, we might be able to stretch our reserves out for a little bit longer, and keep our own cheeks chubbier.