Can I improve skin elasticity?
As you approach your 30s, skin starts becoming more lax. Fortunately, there’s a solution to reigniting your skin’s elasticity
When you look at men and women in their 20s, you can’t help but notice how plump, firm and wrinkle-free their faces are. The same, unfortunately, can hardly be said for those in their mid-30s and above. By then, lines would have begun to form, facial contours become less defined and skin started to sag. These changes are the result of a loss in skin’s volume and elasticity.1
Young skin is blessed with an abundance of collagen and elastin, the proteins that give skin its structure and ability to stretch. Collagen forms in a matrix of cells called fibroblasts, where repair and restoration occurs. Elastin helps provide this matrix with flexibility.2
As we age, the production of these proteins begins to slow down. Our ability to heal also decelerates, which further contributes to a drop in skin elasticity. This loss of elasticity is exacerbated by a reduced production of natural oils and oxidative stress from sun exposure, smoking, pollution, lack of sleep and poor nutrition. Gravity too plays a significant role. As skin loses its elasticity, it starts to show signs of aging, from fine lines to sagging.3
How to increase my skin's elasticity
Skin elasticity is the ability of skin to stretch and snap back to its original shape. “Elasticity is the fundamental property of young skin,” explains Professor Phan Toan Thang, founding director and Group Chief Scientific Officer of the CellResearch Group of Companies, the parent company of CALECIM® Professional. “It determines skin tautness and emphasises skin fullness. It also allows ‘spring back’ which decreases as skin ages and this leads to loose, wrinkly skin,” he affirms.
“Skin elasticity is determined by its elastin content and also by the degree of skin moisturisation,” he clarifies. “Moisture is retained in the skin by glycosaminoglycans like hyaluronic acid. One molecule of hyaluronic acid binds to 20 molecules of water which therefore ‘inflates’ skin. This is a key determinant for skin ‘fullness’,” he elaborates. “Both elastin and hyaluronic acid therefore contribute to skin fullness and elasticity – two primary requirements for youthful skin.”
Skin noticeably starts to lose its elasticity in one’s 30s and 40s. This is accelerated in the first five years of menopause when women’s skin lose around 30 per cent of collagen. The rate at which this happens varies according to genetics and lifestyle. Thankfully, there are ways to boost elastin reserves and help repair loss of skin’s elasticity using cosmeceuticals as well as lifestyle interventions. Dermatologists say including carotenoids and polyphenols in your diet could provide antioxidant benefits which protect against oxidative stress. Studies show that skincare with ingredients such as retinol, peptides and growth factors are helpful.4
The best skincare for regaining skin elasticity
One cosmeceutical that has shown remarkable results in this area is CALECIM®’s Multi-Action Cream. Its efficacy was proven in a recent peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. The study involved a clinical trial that investigated the effect of hyaluronic acid and elastin in human dermal fibroblasts (the main cell type present in skin connective tissue) when exposed to umbilical cord lining mesenchymal stem cell culture from red deer. Also known as PTT-6®, this conditioned media is a key ingredient in CALECIM®’s skincare products, including its Multi-Action Cream. The cream contains a high concentration of PTT-6®. The clinical trial was applied to the skin of donors ranging in age from 23 to 73 and demonstrated a significant improvement in skin tone after topical application of the Multi-Action Cream.
PTT-6® increased the response of the human dermal fibroblasts by 56% and hyaluronic acid by 83%. Skin above 60 were then put to the test where it was found that exposure to PTT-6® resulted in the highest increase in human dermal fibroblast proliferation (113%) compared to other topical applications of growth factor media.
These experimental results show the cross-species efficacy and lack of toxicity of PTT-6® on skin elasticity. PTT-6® contains growth factors and hyaluronic acid which play an important part in enhancing the level of elastin in the dermis. Consistent use of the Multi-Action Cream promises to yield longstanding results. “Once you stop using being on the CALECIM® skincare regimen, skin will lose the youth signals and return to its original state over time,” cautions Professor Phan.
