Collagen & Light Therapy

Red and infrared light influence energy production in all the body’s cells, but they are particularly effective on the skin.

As the body’s surface is covered by skin, it is the easiest area to treat with light therapy. This is beneficial for balancing collagen production and reducing wrinkles.

Why do wrinkles and aged skin occur?

Wrinkles and sagging skin seem inevitable with aging, but their causes are well understood, and lifestyle and diet factors can accelerate or slow down their development. Some key contributors include:

• Cold Weather: Cold causes vasoconstriction, which narrows blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the skin, leading to decreased moisture, heat, and metabolism. Over time, this contributes to wrinkle formation. This effect is more pronounced during winter, in colder climates, and in individuals with low metabolic rates.

  
  

• Heat Exposure: Heat from sources like heaters, open fires, cookers, and even sunlight can age the skin. When skin is warmed more than 10 degrees above normal body temperature, cellular function is impaired. Repeated exposure to noticeable heat can accelerate photoaging.

  
  

• UV Light Exposure: Prolonged UV exposure, primarily from sunlight, leads to photoaging, which causes DNA damage, collagen breakdown, and reduced cell energy output. While UV light is crucial for vitamin D production, it can also trigger wrinkles. This is seen in sunbathers or when comparing facial skin to skin on less-exposed areas of the body.

  
  

• Diet: The ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats in the diet greatly affects wrinkle formation. Studies show that diets high in polyunsaturated oils increase wrinkle formation, while saturated fats are protective. For example, rabbits fed only coconut oil (saturated fat) and exposed to UV light developed fewer wrinkles compared to those on a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats. This is due to the peroxidation of unsaturated fats, which enhances the aging effects of UV light.

These factors are the primary causes of wrinkles, though other influences such as smoking, alcohol, and cosmetic ingredients play lesser roles.

Collagen and elastin in skin

Collagen & Light Therapy

Collagen is the main structural protein in the body, found in skin, tendons, and ligaments. When skin cells are stressed—due to factors like cold weather, poor diet, or aging—they overproduce collagen, leading to an inflammatory response that results in tough, wrinkled skin. This can be seen more clearly in older animals, whose skin becomes thicker and tougher over time due to excess collagen.

Collagen production and breakdown should exist in balance within the skin. Excess collagen leads to tough, wrinkly skin, while excessive collagen breakdown can result in the destruction of the extracellular matrix, necessary for normal cell function. Healthy cells maintain this balance, ensuring joints remain strong, skin stays flexible, and wounds heal efficiently.

How does red light improve the skin?

Red light therapy, especially at wavelengths of 620nm and 680nm, has been shown to accelerate wound healing and reduce scarring. Wrinkles form more slowly than scars but through a similar process of excess collagen production and a reduction in active, healthy cells. Red light helps combat this by:

• Increasing ATP (energy) production in skin cells, promoting cell regeneration and tissue repair.

• Dissociating nitric oxide from mitochondria, improving blood flow and supplying resources needed for repair.

• Reducing inflammation, which can impede healthy skin recovery.

• Enhancing surface tension in cells and protecting mitochondria from damage, preserving energy metabolism.

Inefficient metabolism contributes to wrinkles over time. By boosting energy metabolism, red light has proven beneficial in addressing various skin issues, including the stiffening of skin that leads to wrinkles. Wavelengths of 620nm, 680nm, 760nm, and 825nm are particularly effective at stimulating metabolic activity.

Other Ways to Promote Healthy Collagen Production

• Dietary Gelatin: Foods like pork rinds, oxtail, bone broth, beef cheeks, gelatin powder, and chicharrones are rich in the amino acids glycine, alanine, and proline. These are essential for building collagen in the body and also provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

  
  

• Progesterone: Progesterone is a key hormone in regulating collagen production. It works in balance with cortisol and estrogen. When this balance is disrupted, often due to environmental and dietary factors leading to estrogen dominance, collagen in the skin hardens and shrinks, reducing elasticity and causing wrinkles. Applying natural progesterone cream directly to the skin can help.

  
  

• Avoid Unsaturated Fats: Polyunsaturated fats, like those found in liquid oils, seeds, nuts, and fish fat, can interfere with collagen production and have similar pro-fibrotic effects to estrogen. They can also contribute to collagen buildup in arteries and tumors. Reducing these fats in your diet can support healthier collagen production.