Did you know that skin collagen decreases with age and is lower in women at every age?
The protein that supports the skin
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the dermis, the layer of skin that lies beneath the epidermis. It forms a network of fibers that gives the skin support and firmness. Whenever skin aging comes up, collagen is almost always at the center of the discussion.
To understand how the skin changes over time, you need a reference point. The study we are discussing was designed for exactly this purpose, and it is still widely cited today.
How the study was done
The study, published in 1975 in the British Journal of Dermatology, measured the forearm skin of a large number of healthy people. The researchers measured three values. The amount of collagen, the thickness of the dermis and the density of the collagen.
The aim was to build a reference for future studies, a set of normal values against which skin could be compared in different conditions.
What was observed
Skin collagen decreased with age and was lower in women than in men at every age.
The researchers also found a direct relationship between the amount of collagen and the thickness of the dermis. They noted, however, that collagen density can vary in disease. For this reason the thickness of the dermis alone is not enough to tell how much collagen the skin contains.
How to read the result
This is a classic study, more than forty years old, and it measures the skin of a single area of the body, the forearm. Measuring techniques are far more refined today, but its main finding has remained a starting point for much later research.
The practical message is that age and sex are part of what makes every skin different from the next. Two people of the same age can have different needs. If you have questions about how your skin changes over time, a dermatologist can help you understand which care suits you.
This article is for information only. It does not replace the advice of a doctor or dermatologist, whom you should consult with any question about your skin.