Four top procedures which increase collagen content in skin

Products on the basis of hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the main skin components. Owing to its property to bind a large amount of water due to hydrogen bond formation and to keep it in the skin, HA supports moisturizing the skin as well as its turgor and elasticity. It's well known that with age the HA content in the skin is considerably changed and therefore this leads to worsening of the skin condition. The studies have been shown that HA intracutaneous injections result in the increase of collagen formation in a region of injections as well as in the increase of skin volume and moisturizing. This occurs owing to activation of fibroblasts, the main collagen-producing skin cells, due to the interaction of HA with the cell surface receptors and due to the activation of growth factors that also stimulate fibroblasts.

Fractional photothermolysis (Fraxel)

The method is based on microscopic thermal fractional damage of the derma as a result of laser action. The process of skin restoration after laser action occurs according to the mechanism of wound healing: (1) the first phase is an inflammatory phase when the level of proinflammatory cytokines is increased which in turn increases the level of metalloproteinases, the enzymes that destroy old collagen; (2) the second phase is a reparative phase when the amount of fibroblasts is increased and the fibroblasts produce new collagen types I and III thereby restoring the integrity of dermal extracellular matrix. The accumulation of new collagen leads to a considerable improvement of skin state.

Vitamin A

Local application of products on the basis of retinoic acid (in the form of creams containing vitamin A in the concentration of 0.025–1% for 1 to 12 months) results in a visible improvement of skin condition. The matter is that vitamin A promotes the increase of collagen level in the derma owing to its interaction with receptors on the surface of skin fibroblasts. Moreover, the use of products on the basis of retinoic acid leads to the decrease of metalloproteinase activity and, therefore, to the decrease of skin collagen destruction. At the same time, genes encoding procollagen types I and III are activated, which leads to an increase of the amount of newly formed collagen fibers. As a result, after a long-term application of vitamin A-containing products, the increase of newly formed collagen level is observed in the skin as well as the destruction of "old" collaged fibers is diminished, which leads to the increase of skin firmness and to the correction of wrinkles.

SPRS therapy

The SPRS therapy is based on skin injections of patient's own skin fibroblasts that are functionally active and have been obtained from a small skin sample at the specialized laboratory. Fibroblasts are expanded in cell culture until they reach an amount required for the therapy. During cultivation only young and highly active cells are selected while old and inactive cells are removed. Then the cells are injected into the problem skin regions under clinical conditions. Since fibroblasts were obtained from patient's own skin, they easily survive in patient's skin and promote efficient correction of age-related skin changes by active producing all the necessary skin components, i.e., collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, etc. The studies have been shown that in one year after the end of procedure, the skin density increases by 64%. This is accompanied by the increase of skin elasticity and firmness while the depth and amount of wrinkles is decreased.