Feeling frustrated that your skin isn’t as firm as it used to be? Starting to see the visible signs of ageing? You’re not alone.

As we get older, our skin changes, showing up as wrinkles, fine lines, sagging, dryness, and age spots. That’s why many people look for ways to look younger.

What is Collagen Stimulation Therapy?

Enter collagen – the fundamental protein key to maintaining skin structure and resilience. It essentially provides the scaffolding needed for a supple, firm complexion.

However, with advancing age, our body’s collagen production dwindles, contributing to the onset of visible ageing indicators.

Dr. Scott Allison, leading Cosmetic Physician at Ascension, emphasises the pivotal role collagen plays in maintaining skin elasticity and youthfulness.

“As we age, our body’s collagen synthesis gradually declines, commencing around our mid-20s. For women, the onset of menopause marks a significant decline, with potential losses of up to 30% in collagen production within the initial 5 years.”

 

What if we told you that instead of waiting for signs of ageing to appear, you could start preserving your youthful appearance?

Yep, that’s right – a new trend in the beauty world, known as collagen banking, is all about being proactive rather than reactive in maintaining your beauty.

This is where collagen stimulation therapy comes in.

These advanced treatments aim to invigorate the body’s natural collagen synthesis processes, stimulating a rejuvenated complexion and slowing the appearance of ageing-related concerns.

In this post, we’ll explore three of the most innovative collagen stimulation therapy treatments on the market, each offering its own unique approach to rejuvenating your skin.

So, if you’re ready to get ahead of the “ageing game”, then, keep reading.

Understanding collagen and skin laxity

Collagen, a structural protein abundant in our bodies, plays an important role in preserving skin elasticity and firmness.

Naturally produced by specialised cells called fibroblasts, collagen synthesis is a continuous process throughout our lives. However, as we age, this production gradually declines, resulting in diminished collagen levels and compromised skin integrity.

Skin laxity, on the other hand, is characterised by looseness and sagging, and is a consequence of reduced collagen synthesis and other contributing factors.

Ageing is a primary culprit, accompanied by decreased skin cell turnover and elastin depletion. Additionally, prolonged sun exposure and lifestyle habits such as smoking and poor nutrition accelerate collagen degradation and worsen skin laxity.

Understanding the significance of preventing skin laxity is important for maintaining a youthful appearance and overall skin health.

Embracing collagen stimulation techniques like collagen induction therapy (CIT) can aid in revitalising collagen production and enhancing skin firmness.

By incorporating strategies to stimulate collagen production, such as utilising skincare products rich in collagen-boosting ingredients and embracing a healthy lifestyle, we can proactively combat the effects of ageing and preserve youthful skin vitality.

The 3 best collagen stimulation therapies

Collagen-stimulating treatments harness the skin’s natural healing abilities and trigger the body to produce more collagen.

By kick-starting collagen production, these therapies work deep within the skin to improve elasticity, firmness, and overall texture. Through targeted stimulation, collagen fibres are renewed, resulting in visible reductions in wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin.

There are numerous methods to slow down collagen depletion, one of which is sun exposure.

While there are some natural ways to prevent collagen loss, collagen stimulation therapy via clinical treatment is often considered the most effective solutions.

1. Laser treatments: boosting collagen production

Laser therapy offers a non-invasive yet highly effective method for stimulating collagen synthesis deep within the skin.
By using concentrated beams of light energy, laser treatments penetrate the skin’s surface to target the underlying layers where collagen resides. This targeted approach triggers a natural healing response, prompting the production of new collagen fibres and promoting collagen remodelling.

There are several types of laser treatments available, each tailored to address specific skin concerns and desired outcomes:

Non-ablative lasers: This delivers heat energy to the deeper layers of the skin without causing damage to the surface, resulting in collagen stimulation and skin tightening.

Ablative lasers: Ablative lasers are known for their intensity as they vaporise tissue. Although they require a longer downtime and a more challenging recovery process, they consistently deliver the most striking results.

The standout laser treatment available at Ascension Cosmetic Medicine and renowned for its collagen-boosting properties is the fractional CO2 laser.

The gold standard in skin rejuvenation, CO2 laser utilises fractional technology to deliver precise pulses of laser energy, promoting collagen remodelling and skin revitalisation.

When we say “fractional ablative” that means the procedure creates thousands of tiny channels in the skin, targeting only a portion of the treatment site’s surface area. This is in contrast to full-field laser treatment which addresses the entire surface area of the treatment area.

CO2 is a more intense skin rejuvenation treatment and requires 5-7 days of downtime, depending on the depth of the treatment. The skin may also stay slightly pink for a month or so after healing is completed.

Collagen will continue to be produced up to 12 months after the treatment. The outcomes of this procedure are significantly improved by diligently following the recommended pre and post-care.

The benefits of laser treatments extend beyond collagen stimulation, encompassing improvements in skin texture, tone, and firmness. By stimulating collagen production, laser therapy can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scars, while also enhancing overall skin radiance and vitality.

2. Morpheus8 — the holy grail of collagen stimulation therapy

One of the most innovative new technologies, Morpheus8 is a microneedling device that uses radio-frequency energy to contract connective tissue under the skin, stimulate collagen production, and remodel the underlying structure of the skin.

Morpheus8 stands out from traditional microneedling treatments thanks to its innovative combination of microneedling and radio frequency (RF) energy.

This revolutionary device features ultra-fine gold-coated needles that penetrate the skin, delivering RF energy to the deeper layers where collagen resides. Through a triple action mechanism – skin ablation, fat coagulation, and volumetric heating – it facilitates skin tissue remodelling, enhancing its texture and firming its contours.

Unlike conventional microneedling treatments, Morpheus8 offers several distinct advantages. Namely, its unique combination of microneedles and RF energy allows for deeper dermis penetration and more precise collagen stimulation.

This targeted approach ensures optimal results with minimal discomfort and downtime, making it a preferred choice for those seeking effective collagen stimulation therapy.

3. Tixel — skin tightening with minimal downtime

Tixel is a non-laser, non-invasive collagen stimulation therapy treatment that employs heat energy to boost collagen production, offering impressive results with minimal downtime.

Using pure radiated heat to trigger the body’s healing response, Tixel Skin Tightening delivers this heat in a safe, fast and precise method for about one millisecond at a time.

Delivering heat energy to create tiny areas of micro-damage in the skin, these small channels trigger the surrounding cells to initiate their repair and healing process. This energy also stimulates cells deep below the surface of the skin, inducing the production of more collagen.

Tixel Skin Tightening helps treat fine lines, wrinkles, thinned skin, scarring, and is one of the only treatments that can be used around the eye area.

When treating the area around the eyes, swelling is common and lasts for a few days. As the healing process begins, your skin will become dry and flaky after a minimum of three days of redness. This process generally takes about 7-10 days and can be covered with makeup.

With its ability to help the appearance of skin laxity, rejuvenation, and dermal signs of ageing, Tixel offers a path towards achieving a smoother, more youthful complexion.

The power of combination therapy

You might be unable to turn back time, but there are ways to slow down or reduce skin ageing.

While it’s possible to delay ageing naturally through efforts such as reducing your UV exposure and pollution, and making positive diet choices, we recommend taking a strategic approach to maximise and enhance your skin rejuvenation like never before.

While individual collagen stimulation therapy treatments offer significant benefits, combining different modalities is key to achieving optimal collagen induction and comprehensive skin revitalisation. This is what’s called a combination therapy.

By taking advantage of the strengths of various treatments, combination therapy addresses multiple aspects of ageing, yielding superior results and long-lasting improvements.

One potent combination involves pairing laser treatment with radio frequency (RF) energy such as CO2 laser with Morpheus8.

It’s for this exact reason that we created the “Collagen Trilogy Package” – combining three powerful modalities: CO2 Laser, Morpheus8 RF microneedling, and Tixel Skin Tightening.

This package includes CO2 laser treatment for the full face, Morpheus 8 on the neck area (made famous by Kim Kardashian) and Tixel treatment to the eye area, which simultaneously activate the production of collagen and elastin, resulting in an overall skin-tightening effect.

The beauty of combining these three modalities into one curated package lies in the ability to deliver transformative outcomes that surpass those achieved with standalone interventions.

At Ascension Cosmetic Medicine, we specialise in non-invasive treatments with an expert team led by Dr. Scott Allison. We pride ourselves on maintaining high standards of care and share the common goal of putting your needs first to create personalised treatment plans.

If you’re interested in collagen stimulation therapy treatments and want to learn more about our latest collagen packages and whether you would be a suitable candidate, please get in touch with our team today to book your comprehensive skin consultation at our Brisbane clinic.