What Is Elastin?
Our guide on everything you need to know about elastin and elastin creams for anti-ageing.
Elastin and collagen work hand-in-hand in keeping our skin healthy: collagen provides strength, elastin flexibility. Elastin is not as present in the body as collagen - it makes up about 2% of total protein in the middle layer of the skin - known as the dermis - while collagen makes up more than 75%. But while the amount of elastin you have is small, it is mighty and plays a huge role in how your skin looks and responds. Elastin is crucial for your skin’s flexibility and resistance, and declining amounts show in our skin as we age.
Here we take a closer look at what is elastin. What role does it play in the skin’s ageing? What is the elastin structure and elastin function - and should you invest in elastin cream?
What is elastin’s role in ageing?
As we age, elastin cells become weaker or damaged and lose their ability to ping back in the same way. This results in fine lines and wrinkles, particularly around areas we move a lot such as the eyes, mouth and forehead.
The problem with elastin is that once it’s damaged there’s no going back. There is only one gene that produces tropoelastin, the building block that is needed to make elastin, and elastin production decreases rapidly over time. Your body produces elastin throughout childhood but stops producing elastin after puberty.
Approximately 10% of the elastin in the body is lost over a lifetime, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin. Not only does elastin biosynthesis (that is, the production of elastin within the cells) slow down as you age, existing elastic fibres in your skin also start to degenerate and die. As the amount of elastin we have in our cells diminishes, our skin loses its ability to rebound and with it our youthful bounce.
While elastin production falls over time and cells will naturally become damaged due to wear and tear, lifestyle factors, such as smoking, pollution or long exposure to the sun, can accelerate this natural process.