Collagen is available today in powder, shot, or cream form. However, the real story begins much earlier and in a place that no external product can reach: deep within the skin, where your body produces its own collagen. This production starts to decline in your mid-twenties – quietly, long before you notice anything.
The good news: you can stimulate them again. But not with what most people try first.
What collagen actually is
Collagen is the scaffolding of your skin. It is the most abundant protein in the body and makes up.
This scaffolding is built by cells in the dermis called fibroblasts. As long as they actively work, the structure is maintained. If their work slows down, the scaffolding becomes thinner.
Why collagen decreases from the age of 25
From around the age of 25, the skin loses about one percent of its collagen annually.Shuster et al., 1975. This sounds like a small amount, but it adds up year after year.
There's more to it than just natural shrinkage. With age, fibroblasts produce less collagen – and this is because they lack support. Picture this: young skin is a tightly stretched net, in which fibroblasts are firmly anchored and work under tension. As collagen becomes brittle over the years, the net sags. The cells lose their anchoring, contract, and reduce production – which further thins the net. In the skin of people over 80, collagen production is therefore around two-thirds lower than in young adults.Varani et al., 2006A self-reinforcing cycle.
What accelerates the breakdown
Natural decline is one thing. It can be accelerated in two ways.
The first is the environment, primarily the sun. UV radiation and the oxidative stress it triggers damage collagen fibres and the fibroblasts that produce them.Krutmann et al., 2021Much of what becomes visible as skin ageing originates here – and is therefore influenceable.
The second path is hormonal. During the menopause, oestrogen levels drop, and with them, collagen levels plummet: up to 30 percent in the first five years after the menopauseBrincat et al., 2005This is a topic in itself, which we will explore elsewhere.
What you can really do from the outside
Things get honest here. Collagen in a cream sounds logical but fails due to biology: the molecule is too large to penetrate the skin barrier to the depths where it would be needed. Applied collagen remains on the surface. Drunk collagen is also broken down by the body and not specifically delivered to where the skin uses it.
What actually has an effect from the outside are active ingredients that support production – not collagen itself, but the tools for it:
- Vitamin C is a direct cofactor in collagen synthesis; without it, cells cannot form stable collagen fibres at all.Pullar et al., 2017).
- Retinol stimulates fibroblasts to produce more collagen again – measurably more procollagen in aged skin.Kafi et al., 2007).
Both deserve a closer look, which we'll come back to. The idea behind it is crucial: it's not about applying collagen, but about stimulating the skin to build its own.
What really stimulates collagen production
Treatments that directly target fibroblasts are the most appealing. We focus on four of these:
- SkinPen® Microneedling works purely mechanically: fine needles apply controlled micro-stimuli, to which the skin responds with new collagen formation. A significant increase in collagen is then observed in skin samples (El-Domyati et al., 2015).
- Vivace® This microneedling connects with radiofrequency – the heat in the depth amplifies the stimulation of connective tissue.
- Volnewmer® As a monopolar radiofrequency lifting, it delivers energy deep into the tissue, stimulating volume and collagen build-up there.
- Fillmed NCTF® Mesotherapy delivers active ingredients directly into the skin, supporting it in this work.
Which of these suits you depends on your skin – and whether you want to focus on texture, density, or contour.
Early rather than late
Collagen synthesis takes time: new collagen matures over three to six months. This is precisely why it's worth starting early – not only when the loss is visible, but while the fibroblasts can still be easily activated. Maintenance is easier than rebuilding.
This is the core of Pre-ageingcare for skin quality before it's lost. Your skin's current condition and the best path forward for you is shown by the AURA 3D Skin Analysis – free and no obligation.
From what age does collagen decrease in the skin?
From around the age of 25, the skin loses about one percent of its collagen each year, and the cells that produce it work more slowly. This often only becomes visible years later – which is why the breakdown begins long before one notices it.
Can collagen be built up with creams or drinkable ampoules?
Only to a limited extent. The collagen molecule is too large to penetrate deep into the skin from the outside where it would need to work, and ingested collagen is broken down in the body. It makes more sense to stimulate the body's own production – using active ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, and through treatments that directly activate skin cells.
Welche Behandlungen regen die Kollagenproduktion an?
Treatments that directly target fibroblasts in the skin. These include microneedling such as SkinPen®, RF microneedling such as Vivace®, monopolar radiofrequency lifting such as Volnewmer®, and mesotherapy such as Fillmed NCTF®. Which one is suitable depends on your skin and your goals.
How long does it take for new collagen to show?
New collagen matures over approximately three to six months. Initial effects are often noticeable earlier, but the actual building process takes time. Those who start early maintain skin quality rather than having to rebuild it extensively later on.
