Whether we nick ourselves with a razor while shaving, develop sores from acne, sustain burns from a welding or culinary career, suffer from skin conditions such as Psoriasis or simply experience thinning of the skin that leads to easily torn skin- every one experiences lacerations of some kind or another occasionally. Your skin is the biggest organ in your body and protects all of the body’s other organs within our body. It’s also the body’s one and only outer protection against infection. Our skin’s health is valuable to us and it’s vital that we ensure our skin continues to heal quickly and properly when needed. One very important component in this healing process is collagen. Collagen health benefits have a lot to do with the role it has in healing the skin.
Collagen is a fibrous protein in the body’s connective tissue that aids in all levels of the skin’s healing process. There is at least sixteen different types of collagen in the body and collagen is also known for it’s important role in making and preserving healthy cartilage and bones along with it’s natural skin healing abilities. When you suffer a wound, the healing process will transpire in stages and the amount of time it takes to heal depends on the severity of the wound.
In the first event that takes place after suffering a wound, any blood from your wound will begin to clot and a scab will form. The newly formed scab and your immune system works together to protect you from invading bacteria and infection. The wound will be tender and the blood vessels beneath the skin will open up to supply oxygen to the laceration as part of the healing process and white blood cells will also work to combat infection and mend the wound at this time. After these phases, the growth of new tissue occurs and bacteria-resistant collagen comes into play. Your red blood cells create the collagen in your body that helps form new skin tissue where your wound once was. Collagen is essential for the wound healing process and for new tissue to be formed.
There are four different steps to your body’s wound healing process and collagen is essential in each one of them for the wound to heal properly. In the first step your body takes to heal your wound, collagen plays a key role by guiding fibroblasts and helping with the migration of epithelial cells around the connective tissue matrix. The collagen fibers then attract fibrogenic cells to help with the healing process. In the third phase, collagen promotes capillary growth and collagen disposition which boosts your wound’s stamina and endurance. In the fourth phase, Collagen works together with blood platelets to create a hemostatic plug.
It’s excellent for your health physically and your appearance cosmetically to ensure your skin stays healthy and vibrant. Part of keeping your skin healthy and vibrant is ensuring your body has everything it needs, including collagen, to heal wounds properly and fight off infection effectively. There are many ways you can naturally boost your collagen such as collagen supplements, amino acids such as Threonine and Proline found in certain foods such as peanuts and dairy products or you could get a good collagen boost from Vitamin C, which you can easily get from citrus fruits or conveniently during your daily shower with a luxury shower head containing a Vitamin C filter.