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Facial

Lips

What is collagen?

What happens to it as we age?

Are there side effects?

How much do treatments cost?

What is elastin?

Why is my skin sagging?

Why has my skin recently aged so much?

Laser Treatment

Injectables Comparison Chart

	Collagen/Zyderm® & Zyplast®
	Artefill®
	Botox®
	Fat Fillers
	Radiesse®
	Restylane®
	Juvederm®
	Sculptra®
	Perlane™
	CosmoDerm® & CosmoPlast®

Topical Collagen Creams

Microdermabrasion

Chemical peels

How to choose a doctor

Pre-treatment questions

American Academy of Dermatology

American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery

American Society for Dermatologic Surgery

AAFPRS

What happens to collagen as we age?


	Sun exposure causes our collagen to degrade
	Most problems associated with aging skin are caused by the sun
	Latent genes are activated by the sun's rays
	Skin treatments, such as laser, can stimulate new collagen growth

As we age our skin is subjected to more and more sun exposure. This exposure aggregates over time, damaging our collagen and elastic fibers. As this happens our skin begins to sag, may turn color and generally loses its healthy appearance.

90% of the wrinkled, sagging skin we see is caused not by the passage of time, but by the sun exposure we accumulate over our lives. To prove this, take a look at the skin on your buttocks and compare that to your face or forearms. Your buttocks will have very little if any wrinkles or brown spotting, spider veins, sagging skin, or enlarged pores we associate with sun damaged skin. As we age, we do naturally lose adipose, causing our skin to sag more, however the skin itself will remain very healthy looking were it not exposed to the sun.

DNA Changes from Sun Exposure

As we expose our skin to the sun over time, the sunlight activates genes that are already in our skin and causes them to function in an abnormal way, producing degraded collagen. Skin treatments can help to stimulate new collagen growth.

For further reading, please visit these resources: Laser Treatment, Injectables Comparison, Choosing Your Doctor

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Last Modified: October 19, 2007

Frequently Asked Questions
	What are GAGs (Glycosaminoglycans)?	What is botulinum toxin?
	What is adipose?	What are dermal fillers?
	What is non-ablative laser?	What is Hyaluronic acid?
	What is the Dermis?	What are retinoids?
	What is the Epidermis?	What are antioxidants?
	What are granulomas?

The information contained in the above article is purely for educational purposes and is not intended to provide any medical advice. Always consult with your physician before having any medical procedure performed.

What happens to collagen as we age?

DNA Changes from Sun Exposure

Frequently Asked Questions