Estrogen is the primary hormone that builds collagen by stimulating fibroblasts (the cells that produce collagen), while Growth Hormone (GH) also plays a crucial role in collagen synthesis, particularly in connective tissues like tendons, with both hormones declining with age, leading to reduced collagen and skin aging.
Estrogen appears to aid in the prevention of skin aging in several ways. This reproductive hormone prevents a decrease in skin collagen in postmenopausal women; topical and systemic estrogen therapy can increase the skin collagen content and therefore maintain skin thickness.
Estrogen: The Skin's Ally
Estrogen plays a pivotal role in maintaining skin thickness, elasticity, and hydration. Declining estrogen levels during menopause can lead to reduced collagen production, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin.
Foods to boost collagen production
Several high-protein foods are believed to nurture collagen production because they contain the amino acids that make collagen—glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. [6] These include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, and soy.
Although you can't fully replace lost collagen, modern aesthetic therapies have made it possible to significantly improve skin texture, firmness, and elasticity by encouraging natural collagen regeneration over time.
What lifestyle habits damage collagen?
Estrogen is often considered the “beauty hormone” due to its positive effects on skin. It plays a vital role in: Collagen production: Estrogen helps maintain skin thickness and elasticity by stimulating collagen production, which keeps skin firm and youthful.
Eating until you're 80% full – This is a Japanese term which originates from Okinawa, originally called hara hachi bu. Adopting this eating pattern is said to lead to a longer life expectancy and also benefit anti-aging.
Sun exposure
Researchers estimate that exposure to sunlight's UVA and UVB rays counts for 90% of the symptoms of skin aging. Over time, this damage adds up, resulting in wrinkles, age spots, and visible redness.
Signs of collagen deficiency
Here are some common signs: Skin ageing and wrinkles: Lack of production of collagen makes the skin lose its elasticity, thus resulting in wrinkles, lines and sagging skin. The skin may appear opaque or leather-like and seems to be contributing to the ageing process.
Five signs collagen is working include firmer, more hydrated skin with fewer fine lines, stronger and faster-growing nails, healthier and thicker-looking hair, less joint stiffness, and better gut health/recovery, with initial improvements often seen in skin and nails within weeks, while deeper benefits like joint support take longer.
The sun's UV rays cause oxidation in cells, which can slow the body's natural production of collagen and destroy collagen in the skin. Oxidation is also caused by alcohol use and smoking. The body also makes collagen through nutrients found in a healthful diet.
Avoid collagen saboteurs: Sugar and ultra-processed foods (they trigger glycation, damaging existing collagen) Smoking + pollution (oxidative stress = collagen breakdown) Unprotected sun exposure (UVA rays are collagen's worst enemy)
Wrinkles: Fine lines appear more pronounced, especially around the eyes and mouth.. Sagging: Loss of firmness in the jawline and cheeks. Dullness: Your skin loses its natural radiance, appearing more lackluster.
Oestrogen: Often called the “beauty hormone,” it boosts fibroblast activity for increasing collagen and elastin production, and hyaluronic acid levels, helps maintain epidermal thickness, and assists in skin hydration.
The 60 second ritual involves massaging your facial cleanser into the skin for a full minute before rinsing. The idea is simple: instead of quickly washing your face in 10 seconds, you give your skin the time it needs to truly benefit from the active ingredients and encourage circulation.
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB&J) adds about 33 minutes to your healthy lifespan per serving, according to a University of Michigan study that measured life expectancy impacts of over 5,850 foods using the Health Nutritional Index (HNI). This sandwich tops the list for adding time, with nuts and seeds also being highly beneficial (around 25 mins) and processed items like hot dogs subtracting time.
The Japanese 80% rule, known as "Hara Hachi Bu", is a Confucian principle advising people to stop eating when they feel about 80% full, not completely stuffed, to support health and longevity. This practice encourages mindful eating, helps prevent overeating, and is linked to lower rates of illness and longer lifespans, particularly observed in Okinawan centenarians. It involves slowing down during meals, listening to your body's fullness cues, and appreciating food as fuel rather than indulging to the point of discomfort.
In addition to increased skin thickness, estrogen has also been shown to increase the collagen content of the skin.
Top 7 foods and remedies to boost estrogen
Hormonal imbalances show up as symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight changes, irregular periods, skin issues (acne), hair changes, sleep problems, brain fog, low libido, digestive issues, and temperature sensitivity, affecting energy, body functions, and mental well-being, often linked to stress, thyroid, or reproductive hormones.
Collagenases are enzymes that break the peptide bonds in collagen. They assist in destroying extracellular structures in the pathogenesis of bacteria such as Clostridium. They are considered a virulence factor, facilitating the spread of gas gangrene.
For one, you should avoid the common collagen killers that speed up its depletion: smoking, sunbathing, stress, and a poor diet, to name a few. But even that won't stall its slowing production, which starts as early as our 20s.
The most common signs of collagen deficiency in the face include: Wrinkles and fine lines. Sagging skin. Hollowed cheeks.