Effective Skin Regrowth Ingredients

What to Look for in Effective Skin Regrowth Products

The brick wall for antiaging skin care creams has long been the skin's impermeability to substances put on its surface.

Collagen, though effective as a Natural Moistruizing Factor (NMF), is a molecule too large to penetrate the epidermal layer.

So no matter how much you smear on your skin, it cannot get to the deeper skin layers to replace collagen lost to the ravages of time.

It has been known for some time that estrogen and other hormones can be useful for skin regrowth. Their molecules are small enough to penetrate the skin's dermal layer to replace estrogen the skin can no longer produce on its own. Accelerated skin thinning and wrinkling after menopause are caused by the drop in estrogen production and resultant loss of collagen.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that estrogen creams help skin regrowth and prevent thinning of the skin, wrinkling and liver or age spots in postmenopausal women.

There are plant-based hormone creams on the market for those who prefer not to use animal hormones. A prescription is required for many hormone creams. If you ask your doctor for one, be sure to discuss how and whether you should use it for skin care. If your doctor feels it is not advisable for you, ask if she would have the same concerns regarding plant-based hormone cream.

Polypeptides

There are also alternatives for those who prefer not to put any hormones on their skin. Polypeptides, in many different forms, have burst onto the antiaging scene. Polypeptides are long chain amino acids that penetrate to the skin's deep layers and significantly stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin adding in skin regrowth.

Look for polypeptides such as: palmitoyl pentapeptide (a.k.a. palmitoyl oligopeptide); or copper (tri)peptide (a.k.a. GHK-Cu and copper gluconate), sometimes termed active copper.

Copper peptide has the most research behind it and has been recognized as a powerful wound healing agent since the 1970s. It not only promotes collagen and elastin production, but also acts as an antioxidant as well as stimulates production of hyaluronic acid.

It further removes damaged collagen and elastin. Copper peptide could be called the first complete skin regrowth ingredient since it acts in both the demolition of old cells and renovation aspects of skin remodeling, and protects against free radical damage. As an added bonus, it has anti-inflammatory effects.

There is one caution to the use of copper peptide on the skin. You know that pretty green patina that copper gets over time? That's oxidation or free radical damage. Ironically, while copper peptide has antioxidant properties, it also is an oxidant. So, in this case, you can get too much of a good thing.

Use your copper peptide cream daily for seven days, rest two days and repeat the cycle. After three cycles, take two weeks off. Then begin again. Also, don't apply your copper peptide cream at the same time of day as your antioxidant or exfoliating treatment cream(s). You don't want your treatments fighting each other.

(For more information on copper polypeptides, please read AntiAging Skin Care Using Copper Peptides.)

The benefit of stimulating production of your own collagen rather than injecting foreign or even autologous collagen, is that the new collagen is laid down in an orderly, structured manner to form smoother skin. This is the ideal structure for skin regrowth.

Botox - Mimicking Ingredients

Injected Botox works by paralyzing a muscle. The effects are fairly long-lasting, up to six months. Two topically applied ingredients have thus far been found to function in a manner similar to Botox, but rather than destroying the protein that causes muscles to contract, they block its action.

The effect is not as long-lasting nor is it as dramatic. They might be said to relax the muscle rather than paralyze it. Manufacturers say the effect is cumulative up to a point and the relaxing effect will be maintained as long as the serum or cream is used.

Look for: argiriline (a.k.a. acetyl hexapeptide-3) and GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid).

(Read about GABA's other health benefits.)

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

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