If you’re among the 63% of millennials who take their skincare routine seriously, you’ve probably heard about boosting your body’s collagen production. Most people focus on investing in skincare products that can relieve or treat their skin issues, like acne and wrinkles. But if you want to combat the effects of aging and other skin issues effectively, you’ll need to focus on boosting your body’s collagen production. 

What is collagen?  

Collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body, making up about 30% of your body’s total protein mass. It comprises several amino acids like Glycine, Hydroxyproline, and Proline. It also functions as a primary building block of your body’s muscles, bones, skin, and other connective tissues. When your body produces enough collagen, it promotes healthy blood circulation and maintains your skin’s elasticity, helping you maintain glowing and youthful skin. 

However, certain habits can affect your body’s collagen production. These may include aging, too much sun exposure, smoking, overeating sugary foods, and stress. With less collagen, you’ll likely experience muscle weakness, stiff tendons, joint pains, papery skin, and more visible and noticeable signs of aging on your skin (e.g., wrinkles). 

How to boost your body’s collagen production? 

Thankfully, several ways can help increase your body’s collagen production. Read on below to find out how.  

Get a facial treatment from the professionals

As you age, your body’s collagen will deplete, revealing signs of skin deterioration. Your skin will become thinner and paler and have more fine lines or wrinkles. Getting a laser facial treatment is one of the most popular and effective ways to boost your body’s collagen production again and reverse the effects of ageing.  

The laser treatment will emit low-level heat on your skin to eliminate dead skin cells and trigger the healthy skin cells called fibroblasts to produce more collagen. After one or multiple sessions, your body will produce more collagen again, making your skin appear smoother with fewer wrinkles and fine lines. Laser facial treatment can also help the face look firmer and healthier by hydrating it.  

Make dietary adjustments 

Certain foods can help boost your body’s collagen production. Some of these collagen-producing foods are: 

Chicken 

If you’re wondering why most collagen supplements are made from chicken, that’s because chicken contains plenty of collagen, as evident in the connective tissues on their white meat. Make sure you include chicken skin on the meat or use bone-in chicken to reap its collagen benefits fully. 

Fish and shellfish 

Fish and shellfish have plenty of collagen in their bones, skins, and ligaments. However, be aware that not all of its meat contains enough collagen. For example, the fish’s scales, eyeballs, and head may have more collagen than the meat itself. You can make the most of the fish’s collagen by boiling it whole or taking marine collagen supplements as an alternative. 

Egg whites 

While egg whites don’t have connective tissues like other meat, they contain large amounts of proline, an amino acid that promotes collagen production.  

Vitamin C-rich foods 

Vitamin C plays a significant role in producing more collagen. Fruits like lemons, grapefruit, limes, and oranges are rich in vitamin C. You can add these fruits to your breakfast, salad or eat them as desserts.  

Bone broth 

Bone broth is made of connective tissues and bones, which means it’s rich in magnesium, calcium, amino acids, collagen, and other nutrients. To ensure the quality of your bone broth, it’s best to make your own at home obtained from your trusted meat butcher.  

Healthy vegetables 

Adding healthy vegetables to your daily diet can boost your body’s collagen. For instance, spinach and kale are rich in antioxidants, which prevent deep-seated tissues that destroy your body’s collagen. Vegetables like beets, tomatoes, and red pepper are also good for boosting collagen production. 

Including more of these foods in your daily diet can help increase the collagen produced in your body. 

Get enough sleep every night 

You’ve probably heard about beauty sleep many times, and its importance is more emphasised when trying to increase your body’s collagen production. Getting enough sleep every night should be one of your priorities when creating your beauty or skincare routine. Every time you sleep, your skin produces new collagen as part of your body’s repair process. The more hours of sleep you get every night, the more time your body will have to produce more collagen and keep your skin looking healthy and tight. 

Meanwhile, frequently depriving yourself of sleep can lead to more fine lines and wrinkles on your skin. It also makes your skin drier and paler, making it easier for others to tell that you’re not getting enough sleep. 

Include strength training in your exercise routine 

Your skincare routine doesn’t end with the amount of skincare products you use or the number of hours you get to sleep. You must also exercise to improve and increase your body’s collagen production. And one of these exercises is strength training. 

Strength training exercises like weightlifting, deadlifts, squats, and rows are some of the best workouts to increase your body’s collagen. This high-intensity workout can stimulate your skin cells to produce more collagen, resulting in more youthful and healthier-looking skin. 

Wrapping Up

Your body produces collagen naturally. But by incorporating these tips into your daily lifestyle, you can help your body create more collagen, delay signs of aging, and promote your overall health.