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Collagen makes up a third of the proteins in the human body. It is no wonder that collagen is widely used in the medical field. And with the technological progress of modern medicine, the applications of collagen are becoming more and more varied.
From helping burn patients to medical nutrition therapy! Collagen peptides are used to help repair almost every part of the human body. The list of medicinal uses for collagen is actually quite long.
There are so many medical uses for collagen that we can't possibly list them all. However, here we list many of the medical uses of collagen peptides that may be of greatest interest. But also to demonstrate the importance of collagen for our health!
A dermal filler is often confused with botox and is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that improves the appearance of the skin. The main difference is that botox uses purified bacteria that counteract muscle movement, which reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Dermal fillers use ingredients such as collagen to add fullness to areas that may have thinned with aging. Thinning of the skin that requires fillers usually occurs around the mouth, cheeks and lips.
If dermal fillers don't directly contain collagen in the injection, they often contain things like polylactic acid that stimulate the body's natural collagen production.
To slow down the aging of the skin, you can start using a collagen supplement already at the age of 30.
You might think that many people in the US and other developed countries like Sweden have plenty to eat and never have to go hungry. But many of us may actually be malnourished anyway. It's because we don't eat the right things - or the things we eat aren't absorbed in the right way.
Malnutrition does not always mean that you are thin, but even severely overweight people can be malnourished. Sometimes, when we are deficient in specific vitamins and minerals, our bodies get them from other areas – such as our bones.
Because our body works overtime trying to compensate for the lack of nutrition it doesn't get, collagen production slows down even more, among other things. To compensate for this difference, sometimes doctors may even prescribe a collagen protein supplement to help a patient's diet get back on track.
Malnutrition, pre-existing conditions and surgery can also slow down the body's natural ability to heal.
When collagen production is slowed down due to a lack of nutrients or increased stress in the body, it can take longer than usual to heal a wound. Even if you are young and healthy, wound healing can benefit from a collagen supplement.
Consuming high-quality collagen from supplements can help give your body more access to the collagen it needs to heal.
In some situations, doctors and nurses may also use collagen dressings in combination with collagen supplements to help heal the wound. Providing your body with extra collagen gives you all the tools you need to start reconstructing damaged tissues.
Collagen dressings "attract" new skin cells (fibroblasts) to the damaged area and promote tissue growth. Collagen dressings can also be applied to some burns, but are generally avoided in 3rd degree burns.
In case of severe skin loss, skin grafts can be made using collagen. Patients who have wounds such as bedsores, 2nd degree burns, surgical wounds can benefit from collagen related medical treatments.
Can be used in cosmetic surgeries
Post-operative treatment with a collagen complex specially developed for the skin is particularly common in cosmetic operations (beauty operations). Because collagen protein is widely theorized to increase the production of fibroblasts, it may help heal surgical wounds and promote youthful skin.
Although some cosmetic procedures reconstruct tissues after accidents or deformations, many are intended to tighten the skin or enhance your natural beauty.
In other words, introducing a collagen supplement into your diet , rather than applying it topically, after cosmetic surgery can speed up your post-surgery recovery and give you a youthful glow.
Medical nutrition therapy is exactly what it sounds like - addressing medical problems using nutrition and diet. It is often used to treat diabetes or early signs of heart disease. But it can also be used to treat conditions such as arthritis or injuries.
Collagen supplements may be recommended to a patient by their dietitian or nutritionist if, for example, joint pain is a common problem for them. Adding collagen to your daily diet can provide your body with the nutrients it needs to contribute more protein-building amino acids to problem areas such as your joints.
Collagen contains 19 different amino acids, with a high concentration of proline, hydroxyproline and glycine. Each of these amino acids can be beneficial, but only if taken in sufficient amounts.
It is the combination of these three amino acids that helps increase the production of fibroblasts, and protein synthesis in our joints.
The combination of amino acids helps build cartilage in the joint structure to provide cushioning, comfort and increased mobility in your joints.
Just as collagen protein can be used for skin graft replacements, it can be used to make bone grafts. Bioceramics can be used to repair and restore bones that have been damaged due to disease or trauma.
These bone graft substitutes act as a filler for the damaged area. And they also increase cell growth in the area where they are implanted. This targeted cell ingrowth is needed for tissue regeneration.
To date, collagen-based bone graft substitutes have been used for spine recovery, dentistry, and arm/leg repair.
As we have learned, collagen is often used to help our bodies heal. Our bodies naturally produce collagen to help tissues grow and develop, so taking collagen powder can help promote new - and faster - cell growth.
In dental offices, collagen plugs can fill the cavity where the tooth used to be. This implanted collagen plug helps the cavity heal and keeps it closed to prevent infection.
A dental membrane is a barrier that prevents the gums from growing into the bone cavity. When implanting a bone, soft tissue is needed to protect and cover the area. This is especially important in the mouth because of the risk of infection and bacterial build-up. A membrane barrier can thus be seen as controlled regeneration of soft tissue.
Repairing a hernia requires that the area be repaired quickly and effectively to prevent another hernia from forming. When a patient is overweight or has other underlying health conditions, hernia repair becomes even more difficult for surgeons.
To create a graft that can easily repair and heal a herniated area surgically, medical researchers have used collagen.
Biomedical technology allows doctors to use collagen as a graft to treat hernias, enabling rapid recovery and preventing infection.
Breast reconstruction surgery is used after the breasts have been removed due to a mastectomy. Many breast cancer patients choose to leave the breast bare, while others may choose breast reconstruction surgery.
One way to do this is to use silicone implants, and the other standard option is called flap surgery.
Although collagen can be used briefly in an implant reconstruction scenario, it is used more during flap surgery. During the operation, the woman's own tissues are used to reconstruct the breast lump. Tissues, such as skin, fat and muscle, are taken from different parts of the body such as the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
Using your natural tissue will feel more natural. However, as tissue is moved and replaced, collagen is needed to repair it and integrate it back into the breast area.
For both procedures, it has become relatively common to surround the implant or flap surgery area with a thin mesh layer of collagen. The integration of a collagen layer can help women avoid breast pain and weakness after surgery.
Some women may experience pelvic floor collapse, which means a loss of support in parts of the bladder, uterus and rectum. Surgeons have discovered that bovine pericardium can be used to replace weak tissue during pelvic reconstruction surgeries.
The pericardium in cattle is the membrane that surrounds a cow's heart. Collagen is a major structural element of the pericardium and provides the necessary elasticity for surgical use.
A suture is a stitch or series of stitches that holds a wound or surgical incision together. A collagen suture uses tendons from cattle that have been chemically treated and tested to meet industry standards.
Since collagen sutures are made of natural materials, they will dissolve over time.
So when the body heals the stitched area, there is no need to return to the hospital to have the stitches removed. Either they dissolve completely, or parts will dissolve and the rest will fall off.
You can think of collagen lenses as a contact lens bandage.
They are applied to the eye in the form of a contact lens, and eventually dissolve in the cornea.
"Collagen lenses" are also used in the treatment of chronic dry eyes. As the lens dissolves over time, it essentially becomes liquid, providing lubrication and relief to the eye.
Another use is as a protective layer after eye surgery. In addition to other bandages, the collagen lens further protects the eye from possible damage.
Since collagen has been shown to be effective in wound healing, researchers are investigating the use of collagen lenses to repair damage to eye tissues.
Your body has an amazing natural healing ability. Whether it's tissue regeneration or post-surgery recovery in general, your body uses collagen to heal.
Although we produce collagen naturally, our collagen production slows down drastically around the age of 25. So supporting your body with extra collagen can only be positive!
To incorporate more collagen protein into your diet, try a powdered collagen supplement. Collagen powder is easy for your body to absorb - allowing your body to work its healing magic.
Doctors and researchers are still finding new and exciting uses for collagen. As more studies are conducted and more biomedical products are created, patients around the world will experience the medical wonders of collagen.
