Emer O'Callaghan: What you need to know about collagen

I don’t know about you, but Sunday is by far my favourite day of the week - Funday, I call it in my house.

Even as a child, I loved Sundays. Like many families back in the 1980s, it was the day everyone was together, my dad would be up at dawn and make breakfast for all seven of us so my mum got a rest.

Oldies And Irish was blaring in the background, then we would go to Mass and after, depending on the time of year, my dad would have a soccer match and we would go and watch him, or if was off season he would enjoy a pint of Guinness in our local after dinner.

Each Sunday, Dad would choose one of us five kids to go with him, everyone got a turn, but to get that one on one alone time with dad was just gold for us all.

I remember one Sunday it was my turn, and everyone was talking about the creamy pints, so I quickly learned forward and took a huge sip of dad’s pint - yuck, I said out loud, and everyone started laughing.

My dad packed a lot into his Sundays and I find I do the same myself. I get up early and enjoy the peace and quiet. Every day in my job I’m running to the clock and it’s full on, so the change of pace is appreciated.

A common topic of conversation in my clinic is collagen. Even the dogs on the streets these days are considering whether to start a collagen supplement, such is the heavy marketing women are bombarded with.

There are collagen supplements, creams, injections, serums, drinks and even tablets.

This week, I’d like to tell you more about collagen and help you know what it really is.

WE ALL HAVE COLLAGEN

We all have collagen in our skin, it’s part of our anatomy, and it’s not just in our face and neck, our whole body has it.

Collagen is basically the plumpness and firmness we have under our skin, it’s not the fat or the muscle, it’s between that.

To put it plainly, collagen is like the scaffolding that holds everything up, and keeps our skin looking firm and youthful, as we all age.

From the age of 30, men and women begin to loss collagen and the elasticity of our skin, it’s just part of ageing and it cannot be stopped or prevented. This can ultimately lead to that dreaded phrase turkey neck.

But there are certainly things we can all do to prevent rapid collagen loss. The people that do these three things daily and consistently - and I stress consistently - will hold onto their collagen for longer.

1. FACIALS

In every facial, we lift, firm and massage your face, neck and decolletage, like a work-out for your skin.

2. DIET

The best way to improve collagen is to eat collagen-enriching foods such as avocado, salmon, nuts, and omega 3, 6, 9 daily.

3. PRODUCTS

Using collagen-enhancing serums and creams daily allows them to soak into the skin and enforce that collagen scaffolding to stay up and firm.

DIETING RISK

We live in an age of instant gratification, I want it and I want it now!

Skinny jabs are everywhere now and many people who dramatically lose weight look so much older, because they lost all their collagen also.

Sadly, unlike the weight, once the collagen is gone, it’s gone, you cannot rebuild the scaffolding.

OUTDOOR ELEMENTS

We now know scientifically that the sun is the most ageing thing of all, while among road runners the constant pounding on concrete can also lead to rapid collagen loss.

Those who work outdoors - gardeners, builders, trades people, etc - can also have very weak collagen as the elements have battered their skin over time.

This is why I am forever saying to protect your skin in every season. SPF is for 365 days a year, not just summer, UV rays are from daylight, not just the sun, and shielding your face with scarfs and snoods will help.

COLLAGEN CREAM

I have been a certified Dermalogica expert for 17 years and I was the first to bring it to Cork. This professional grade skincare brand is made by doctors and scientists, it’s FDA approved, has no parabens, no chemicals, no perfumes, and it’s not tested on animals.

One thing I will tell you is this, no- one should be randomly buying these products online or over any counter because they are so powerful, they should always be tested on your first in a treatment to see if your skin is suitable for them.

Last month, Dermalogica launched their new Collagen Banking Water Cream, €83, a hydrating moisturiser that goes on over their collagen banking serum launched last year.

I’m using this cream myself for the past few weeks and I see a huge difference in my skin’s firmness and elasticity - because I’m losing collagen every year like anyone.

The cream is suitable for both male and female skin and is a smart investment. I did one of my popular beauty videos on this cream last week and you can watch it on our Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages now.

TREATMENTS

Facials are skin on skin touch therapy, and never should be done wearing gloves.

Each is designed to lift, firm, and tone collagen by sheer movements alone, but our new Guinot Hydradermie Lift 1000 is just the facial for anyone concerned about their collagen and ageing. It’s like a work-out for the face - the machine lifts and forms every muscle in the face, neck and chest, it contracts using galvanic currents, and you literally see the clients’ facial muscles being lifted and firmed.

My regular clients who do this say they really see the difference in their face.

We also have an eye lift treatment solely for the whole eye area.

We have amazing before and after pictures up in the clinic of clients who do this facial and eye treatment regularly.

As I mentioned earlier, we live in an age of instant gratification, and a facial which allows you to see yourself looking firmer, more youthful, and more toned after is exactly why the future is so bright for those of us who promote natural beauty and do not want to resort to plastic.

You may be led to assume that everyone is getting botox and filler and invasive treatments these days, but they are not.

We have seen the stats and I am thrilled to say that still nine out of ten Irish women do not wish to go down the invasive beauty route, and do want to preserve their own natural beauty and look as good as they can for as long as they can for their age.

I find that’s a refreshing relief for so many who think everyone is getting injections and cosmetic work done.

Natural beauty is still, thank God, the name of the game for so many beautiful women today, and I say as an advocate of natural beauty, Amen to that!

Emer O’Callaghan is a multi award winning Beauty Doctor and Skin Specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Gold Standard Crown Clinic, 2008-2026, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/Instagram/TikTok.

SPECIAL OFFER

All next week, our Guinot Detoxegene Facial, 90 minutes, is reduced from €125 to €95 - includes a full skin analysis, eyebrow shape, samples, and treats. Appointments only, to book call Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. Free parking for clients.