You’ve probably read or heard the word collagen often, especially across skincare ads, supplements, etc. Collagen isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the structural protein that keeps your skin firm, smooth, and, well. Think of it as the scaffolding under your skin. When the skin has plentiful collagen, it looks tight and bouncy but when it runs low, you start to see sagging, wrinkles, and dull face. “Collagen keeps the skin young, supple, and compact. However, it degrades with age, sun exposure, and bad lifestyle like alcohol consumption and smoking,” says Dr Madhuri Agarwal, Celebrity Dermatologist and founder of Yavana Aesthetics. 

Starting in your mid-20s, your body naturally begins producing less collagen. That’s why your 45-year-old self doesn’t have the same skin as your 25-year-old self. Ageing slows down the production of collagen but lifestyle plays an even bigger role.

Habits That Wreck Collagen 

1. Sun damage

UV rays chew up collagen breaking down fibres and stopping your skin from making more. Therefore, be regular with your sunscreen application.

2. Smoking

Cigarettes aren’t just wrecking your lungs, they block blood flow to the skin and damage collagen-producing cells. Try to cut down on smoking if you wish to look younger for longer.

3. Too much sugar

Your sweet tooth comes at a cost. Sugar binds to collagen in a process called glycation, which makes those fibres stiff and brittle. And that’s how sugar makes your skin lose its bounce. Cutting back on added sugars isn’t just good for your body but also for the skin.

4. Stress and bad sleep

Long nights and high stress shoots up cortisol, a hormone that slows repair and messes with collagen production. Chronic sleep issues shows up on your face.

5. Pollution and alcohol

Pollution and alcohol speed up collagen breakdown. A couple drinks now and then is fine. Living off it often is not.

How to Protect and Boost Collagen

While you can’t stop time, you can slow the collagen decline and even stimulate new growth.

The everyday basics:

• Wear sunscreen: It’s the most important anti-ageing product.

• Eat your vitamins: protein and vitamin C are raw materials for collagen. Eat fruits and protein-rich food daily.

• Cut smoking and sugar: the fastest way to hit pause on damage.

• Sleep and hydrate: might be daunting task for many but the most effective.

• Exercise: Sweat it out and release toxins to keep your skin fresh and healthy.

Grooming upgrades:

• Retinoids (like retinol creams or prescription tretinoin): They help your skin make more collagen and smooth fine lines. Make sure to consult with your dermatologist before starting with it.

• Vitamin C serums: help defend collagen from free radicals and support new production.

• Peptides & growth-factor serums and creams: These do not replace old collagen with new one, however, keeps the skin hydrated and moisturised.

Do Oral Collagens Work?

You have probably seen many brands in the market selling collagen powder, tablets and tummies. But the big question is do these work? “Collagen is nothing but amino acids or protein which is naturally present in our body. When you consume collagen orally, your body doesn’t know that the protein is for the skin and therefore, it will digest it how it digests protein usually. It will break it into small molecules and release them into the blood stream. This helps in keeping the skin hydrated. So, it’s good for people with dry skin but it won’t make fine lies, pores or signs of ageing disappear,” explains Dr Agarwal.