The Truth About Collagen: Dr. Shabana Daya On What Boosts Skin Collagen

Collagen’s a skincare word that’s everywhere; it’s in supplements, serums, professional beauty treatments and increasingly, red light therapy.

But what really works? And can you actually support your skin’s own collagen production?

We asked aesthetic doctor and BON CHARGE Scientific Advisor Dr. Shabana Daya to break down what the evidence tells us - from the everyday habits that help protect existing collagen to the skincare ingredients and treatments that may help support new production.

What is collagen?

Collagen’s the main structural protein in your skin, helping give it strength, support and elasticity.

“It helps to provide the dermis with strength, support and elasticity,” Dr. Shabana adds.

As we age, collagen production naturally declines and existing collagen becomes increasingly degraded and disorganized, contributing to thinner, less elastic skin and the formation of wrinkles.

Why does collagen decline with age?

“Collagen production declines with age because fibroblasts - the cells essential for making collagen - become less active as we get older, and the collagen that remains becomes more damaged,” Dr. Shabana explains.

The good news is while you can’t completely stop the natural decline of collagen, you can influence how quickly it happens.

“Lifestyle factors influence the rate of loss of the collagen,” she adds.

Can you increase collagen production naturally?

You can’t completely reverse age-related collagen loss through lifestyle, but you can support collagen production and help slow its breakdown.

Dr. Shabana recommends focusing on the fundamentals:

• Eat enough protein: Collagen is made from amino acids, so eating protein-rich foods such as eggs, fish, dairy, meat and lentils provides the building blocks your body needs for normal collagen production.
• Eat a nutrient-rich diet: Vitamin C is required for normal collagen synthesis and helps protect skin from oxidative stress. Good sources include citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, and broccoli.
• Prioritize sleep: Quality sleep supports normal tissue repair processes, while consistently poor sleep may contribute to skin aging through stress and inflammatory pathways.
• Exercise regularly: Regular movement supports circulation and overall skin health, which may help create a better environment for normal repair processes.
• Wear SPF daily: UV exposure is one of the biggest drivers of collagen breakdown, making sun protection one of the most important things you can do to protect it.
• Don’t smoke: Smoking is directly linked to collagen breakdown.

Do collagen supplements actually work?

Collagen supplements aren't a scam. But they aren't the miracle “collagen booster” they're sometimes made out to be either.

(Photo by iStock of a woman taking a supplement) 

A 2025 meta-analysis of 23 randomized controlled trials involving 1,474 people found collagen supplementation was associated with improvements in skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkles.

However, those benefits weren’t seen when the analysis was limited to higher-quality studies or studies without pharmaceutical industry funding.

Dr. Shabana adds that, in her clinical view, “collagen supplements may still have benefits” for some people: “They will improve skin hydration, they will improve elasticity - especially in postmenopausal women - but they won’t reverse skin aging.”

For that reason, collagen supplements are best viewed as a potential supportive add-on rather than a guaranteed anti-aging solution.

Which skincare ingredients support collagen?

Some ingredients have stronger evidence than others for supporting collagen production and reducing collagen breakdown.

1. Retinoids:

   Decades of research have shown that consistent use can support collagen synthesis and reduce collagen breakdown, with prescription tretinoin having the strongest evidence.

2. Vitamin C

   “Vitamin C would be second,” says Dr. Shabana. “You want to be looking at stabilisation, and well-formulated serums would include L-ascorbic acid between 10–20%.”

3. Peptides

   Peptides are popular in skincare, but the evidence isn’t as strong or as established as it is for retinoids and vitamin C.

   Some topical peptides may help support collagen-related signalling in the skin, but results depend heavily on the specific peptide, formulation and study design. For that reason, they’re best thought of as a supportive add-on rather than a replacement for proven ingredients.

   “People should think of peptides as an add-on to existing skincare that we know works, rather than as a substitute,” Dr. Shabana advises.

What about collagen creams?

Collagen’s found in plenty of beauty creams and serums but putting collagen on your skin isn't the same as stimulating your skin to produce more collagen.

(Photo by iStock of a woman applying cream to her face)

Collagen’s a large protein, so it doesn’t readily penetrate the skin to reach the dermis where your collagen network’s located.

Instead, topical collagen’s primarily used for its moisturizing and film-forming properties, which can temporarily make skin feel smoother and more hydrated.

So while a collagen cream may be a useful hydrating skincare product, there isn't strong evidence that simply applying collagen topically significantly increases the amount of collagen in your skin.

If your goal is specifically to support collagen production, ingredients such as retinoids have much stronger evidence behind them.

Collagen cream = can help hydrate and temporarily improve the feel/appearance of skin

Collagen-stimulating ingredients = designed to influence your skin's own collagen production

What about professional collagen treatments?

If you want to go beyond topical skincare, there are several professional treatments that may support collagen production and remodelling. 

(Photo by iStock of a woman receiving a microneedling treatment at a professional clinic)

These treatments should be performed by appropriately qualified practitioners, and suitability depends on skin type, medical history, pregnancy status, medications, pigmentation risk and active skin conditions.

Lasers

“Ablative Lasers in particular can help stimulate collagen induction,” Dr. Shabana says.

“They create controlled thermal injury in the skin, which can drive fibroblast recruitment. As the skin then heals the new collagen is remodelled and becomes more organised."

Radiofrequency microneedling

“Radiofrequency microneedling combines mechanical micro-injury through the microneedling with deep thermal energy from the radiofrequency,” she explains.

Radiofrequency microneedling works differently from ablative lasers and may offer a different balance of results, downtime and pigmentation risk depending on the device, settings and skin type.

It can deliver controlled heat beneath the surface while causing relatively less damage to the top layer of skin. This controlled heat is intended to stimulate collagen synthesis and remodelling over time. 

Microneedling

“Microneedling has been around for a long time. There’s a lot of evidence behind microneedling working. It controls micro-injuries into the skin, and through the injuries, the fibroblasts are activated and this lays down type three collagen,” the aesthetic doctor reveals.

“Then over months, this type three collagen gets laid down into type one collagen.”

In other words, microneedling is thought to work by creating controlled micro-injuries that trigger the skin’s wound-healing response. This may support collagen remodelling over time, which is why it’s commonly used in clinical settings to improve skin texture, acne scarring, fine lines and signs of photoaging.

Collagen biostimulators

“Collagen biostimulators essentially, the name says it all,” Dr. Shabana adds. “They stimulate collagen.

“And they are a huge area in aesthetics right now. They work gradually over around three to six months by stimulating the body’s own fibroblast response, which can support new collagen production.”

Polynucleotides

Polynucleotides, sometimes colloquially referred to as “salmon DNA” treatments, are injectable skin-rejuvenation treatments that use DNA fragments.

Early evidence suggests they may support skin repair and collagen-related pathways, but this is still a developing area compared with longer-established treatments.

Can red light therapy support collagen?

Red light therapy may also help support collagen-related skin repair pathways, and Dr. Shabana’s a strong advocate for it.

(Photo of BON CHARGE'S Red Light Face Mask)

Read More: How to use the BON CHARGE Red Light Face Mask safely and consistently as part of your skincare routine

“How it’s working essentially, is you’re boosting energy in the mitochondria, so boosting fibroblasts. With more cellular energy available, fibroblasts may be better supported in producing collagen,”¹ she explains.

While results depend on wavelength, dose, device quality and consistency of use, red light therapy is thought to work partly through photobiomodulation - where light interacts with cellular energy pathways.

Dr. Shabana also points to research suggesting red light therapy may help reduce matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs - enzymes involved in collagen breakdown.

“There are some studies out there that have also shown that red light therapy can reduce MMP, which are the enzymes that break down collagen. So by reducing that, you’re reducing collagen breakdown.”²

So, what’s the best way to support collagen?

There’s no single collagen-boosting fix.

1. SPF - Protect what you already have.
2. Retinoids - The strongest topical evidence for supporting collagen production and reducing collagen breakdown.
3. Microneedling, red light therapy and laser - Professional and at-home approaches that may support collagen-related repair pathways, depending on the treatment type, device quality and consistency of use.
4. Supplements - An optional add-on, particularly for hydration and elasticity.

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References

1. Barolet, D., Roberge, C. J., Auger, F. A., Boucher, A. & Germain, L. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source: clinical correlation with a single-blinded study. J. Invest. Dermatol. 129, 2751–2759 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2009.186

BON CHARGE: This content is for general education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always follow product instructions and consult a qualified healthcare professional for guidance tailored to you. Individual results may vary.