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The science of skin ageing: understanding the role of collagen and elastin

6 min read

Science of skin ageing: the role of collagen and elastin on skin

What are elastin and collagen?

Elastin and collagen are proteins produced and stored by the body. They are crucial for providing skin structure, strength, and firmness. When we’re young, they give our skin that fabulous healthy plumpness, tone, and natural ability to spring back.

Over time, external and internal factors influence how well our body produces these two essential proteins, and the tell-tale signs of ageing begin to show: loss of tone, lines and wrinkles, loss of volume, and even sagging skin.

At FILLMED, with our proven skin science expertise, we have dedicated years to researching the ageing process and meticulously developed products that can help boost, protect, and reinforce your skin’s natural collagen and elastin production. This, in turn, enhances how well your skin ages.

Intrigued? Let’s dive deep into the universe of collagen and elastin to discover more.

Collagen and elastin: a youthful combination

Collagen makes up about 80%⁽¹⁾ of the skin’s composition, making it a major building block. Elastin fibers only represent between 2% – 4%⁽¹⁾ of the skin, but their combination makes them a powerful duo. They work together: collagen for skin structure and strength, elastin for flexibility and suppleness. So, where exactly are they in the skin?

Collagen and elastin are produced and stored in the thickest, middle layer of the skin, the dermis. They form part of the extracellular matrix and are made by essential cells called fibroblasts, which also produce hyaluronic acid. Fibroblast activity decreases as we age, meaning less collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid to provide skin structure, elasticity, and hydration. This is part of chronological ageing.

But it’s not just internal changes that affect collagen and elastin.

UV rays: the main culprit

Did you know that the major external cause of premature skin ageing is sun exposure? ⁽²⁾ Pollution and poor lifestyle choices also play a role, but photo-ageing is the main culprit. So, what does it do to our collagen and elastin?

Sunlight consists of UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are shorter and tend to penetrate the upper layer of the skin, potentially causing sunburn. UVA rays penetrate much deeper and can damage collagen fibers. This damage disrupts the balance between collagen and elastin. To compensate, elastin production goes into overdrive and produces enzymes called metalloproteinases that try to rebuild the damaged collagen. Unfortunately, over time and with constant sun exposure, this can lead to a poorer quality skin structure and… yes, wrinkles.

Wearing sunscreen is essential to protect your skin from sun damage. But you can also help your skin from the inside. Choosing skincare products that boost and support the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin will maintain better skin quality and increase resilience.

Boost the collagen-elastin combo

As skin regeneration experts with a deep understanding of the essential role of fibroblasts, we have developed the ART FILLER^® range of active fillers with unique TRI-HYAL^® technology and our iconic, pink, NCTF^® 135 HA solution, to work at a cellular level across all layers of the skin.

ART FILLER^® is a range of highly versatile fillers with an exclusive combination of three different types of hyaluronic acid. These active fillers stimulate natural fibroblast activity and induce collagen production deep in the dermis^(3)(4)(5). This has a positive effect on the skin’s ability to stay firmer, longer.

Our polyrevitalizing solution, NCTF^® 135 HA, contains a unique formula of 60 rigorously selected and well-tolerated ingredients at specific doses, which work together to create optimal conditions for reactivating and boosting fibroblast activity. The vitamins and amino acids it contains are particularly effective in stimulating collagen synthesis and helping to build elastin. The results speak for themselves! ⁽⁶⁾

NCTF^® 135 HA :
+148% fibroblast stimulation⁽⁷⁾
+256% collagen stimulation⁽⁷⁾

Main takeaways:

Collagen and elastin are essential for maintaining the structure, tone, and youthfulness of the skin.
Fibroblasts play a key role in producing collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
As we age, fibroblast activity declines, impacting skin quality and appearance.
Sensible lifestyle choices and protecting your skin from external harm really help.
ART FILLER^® and NCTF^® 135 HA support and create the right conditions for collagen/elastin production and prevent collagen degradation.^(3)(4)(5)(7)

By adopting these habits and using products designed to support your skin’s structure, you can preserve its glow and youthfulness longer. Discover our solutions and give your skin its full potential.

⁽¹⁾National Library of Medicine, Clinical Relevance of Elastin in the structure and Function of Skin, 3 September 2021
⁽²⁾Skin Cancer Foundation, Photoageing, 7 June 2021
⁽³⁾Trevidic P, Andre P, Benadiba L, Deutsch JJ, Galatoire O, Garcia P, Grand-Vincent A, Boisnic S, Kerihuel JC, Salomon C. Prospective, Split-Face, Randomized, Long-Term Blinded Objective Comparison of the Performance and Tolerability of Two New Hyaluronic Acid Fillers. Dermatol Surg. 2017 Dec;43(12):1448-1457. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000001193. Erratum in: Dermatol Surg. 2018 Aug;44(8):1158. PMID: 28595250.
⁽⁴⁾Chen R, Yang W, Sun J, Liu Y, An Q, Zhang F, Bai Z, Luan Q.Triple Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid Based on TRI-HYAL® technique Has More Durable Effect on Dermal Renewal. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2022;15:691-701 https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S362785.
⁽⁵⁾Nadra K, André M, Marchaud E, Kestemont P, Braccini F, Cartier H, Kéophiphath M, Fanian F. A hyaluronic acid-based filler reduces lipolysis in human mature adipocytes and maintains adherence and lipid accumulation of long-term differentiated human preadipocytes. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 May;20(5):1474-1482. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13794. Epub 2020 Nov 4. PMID: 33150734; PMCID: PMC8246837.
⁽⁶⁾In-vitro study, 2006
⁽⁷⁾Polycomponent mesotherapy formulations for the treatment of skin aging and improvement of skin quality, Sergey Prikhnenko, Clinical, Cosmetic, Investigational Dermatology 2015:8 151-157. Results obtained on NCTF powder.

NCTF^® 135 HA and ART FILLER^® are injectable medical device ranges. Ask your doctor for advice. If any adverse event occurs, please inform your doctor. Vigilance contact (notification of an adverse event): vigilance@fillmed.com

MIX-082-06-2024