Aging Overnight? Dermatologist Explains Collagen Loss and Tips for At-Home Solutions

If you feel like your face is literally aging overnight, you’re not crazy—and you’re certainly not alone. Maybe you first notice it in a photo, an unflattering video, or on a Zoom call when you suddenly don’t recognize yourself. If you’re like many of my patients, you might go from feeling confident to completely uncomfortable in your own skin. Even if you’re not a vain person, your mind may still compulsively return to these thoughts

• When did this happen?
• What is going on with my face?
• Why does my neck look like that?
• And most importantly: Can I reverse this process of aging, or at the very least, stop it from getting worse?
  

The answer is YES. But the first step toward taking control of this process is recognizing one major factor that’s often to blame for a significant part of these changes: loss of collagen. 

What is collagen? 

Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies— 80% of the skin’s dry weight is comprised of collagen. Our skin is made up of the epidermis (the more superficial layer, whose primary function is protection) and the dermis (the deeper layer). Collagen resides in the dermis, providing a scaffold that gives our skin its structural integrity keeping it lifted, tight, and firm. 

What collagen loss looks like in our skin:

As we mature and lose collagen in our skin, that structural support weakens, leading to visible signs of aging such as:

• fine lines
• wrinkles
• sagging
• crepey texture
• laxity
• thinning of the skin
• slower wound healing
• more prominent pores and uneven texture

What causes collagen to decline in our skin?

Collagen and aging skin go hand in hand although it may seem like collagen loss happens overnight, it’s actually a culmination of a number of factors:

• Aging: As we age, we lose collagen. It’s inevitable. In fact, we start to lose 1% of our collagen per year starting in our late 20s.
  
• Hormones: Hormonal changes, specifically menopause, accelerate collagen loss. We lose up to 30% of our collagen within the first 5 years after menopause. Estrogen is needed for collagen synthesis, so when estrogen levels decline, we see a sharp decrease in collagen.
  
• The sun: Sun exposure—UV rays trigger matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in our skin, causing collagen breakdown.
  
• Smoking: Free radicals and oxidative stress from smoking cause accelerated breakdown of collagen.
  
• Stress (persistently high cortisol levels): Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which can impair collagen production and accelerate visible aging. That's why we all seem to look older during stressful times.
  
• Poor sleep: Inadequate or poor-quality sleep raises cortisol levels, reducing the body’s ability to repair and regenerate collagen.
• Excessive alcohol consumption: Alcohol dehydrates the skin and generates oxidative stress, both of which contribute to collagen breakdown.
  
• Too much sugar: High sugar intake leads to glycation, a process that damages collagen and makes skin less firm and resilient.
  
• Poor diet and nutritional deficiencies (e.g., too much alcohol and sugar, and not enough vitamin C, zinc, copper, amino acids, or proteins)
  
• Chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes)
  
• Certain medications (prolonged steroid use can decrease collagen production and weaken skin structure.)

So what can you do about it?  

How to Rebuild and Support Healthy Collagen in Your Skin

As a dermatologist deeply passionate about skin health and science, I’m often asked:

 “What’s the best way to rebuild and support collagen in my skin?”

It’s a great question—because collagen is a key structural protein that gives your skin its firmness, elasticity, and youthful bounce. As we just learned, starting in our mid-20s, we lose about 1% of collagen every year, and certain lifestyle factors (like sun exposure, hormonal changes, sugar, and stress) can accelerate that process.

The good news? There are powerful, proven ways to stimulate collagen production, both in and out of the dermatology office.

Let’s break this down into a three-pronged approach:

1. At-home skincare
2. Lifestyle and nutrition
3. In-office treatments

First, we’ll take a look at what you can do at home, for both your skincare and lifestyle. I will do a separate blog with a deep dive on in-office treatments that stimulate collagen. 

At-Home Skincare Products + Ingredients That Support Collagen

Your daily skincare routine can significantly impact collagen health, if you’re using the right products the right way. I can’t tell you how many patients come to me specifically requesting procedures, and are shocked when I tell them that it’s not even worth investing in procedures until we’ve optimized their skincare. Many of them are even MORE shocked when we end up either not having to do certain procedures, or are able to get even more out of their procedures, once we implement a skincare routine that is thoughtful, deliberate and uses the highest quality clinically proven products. 

Here are my tried and true skincare recommendations for supporting collagen and protecting the collagen you already have:

Retinoids (Retinol, Retinal, Tretinoin)

Retinoids are gold-standard ingredients for collagen stimulation. They speed up cell turnover and boost collagen synthesis. Start slow to minimize irritation, and of course always pair with SPF. My personal favorite is retinal with an “AL,” because it’s 10x more bioavailable than retinol which means it works smarter, harder and faster for your skin.  

Vitamin C 

Vitamin C is what I consider a daily skincare staple. It’s one of the most powerful ingredients when it comes to brightening the skin and evening out skin tone to give you that coveted healthy glow.  It’s a powerful antioxidant, but not all vitamin C serums are created equal–only some forms of vitamin C are clinically proven to support new collagen production. 

When I was formulating Asta C™ Vitamin C Serum with my team at DWB Beauty, we started with 2 of the newer, more advanced forms of Vitamin C, and then we added turmeric and astaxanthin—two other powerful antioxidants. It took us over 2 years to nail this formulation, but the clinical results were worth it—so much so, they are published in a top peer-reviewed journal. 

DERM TIP: If you’re new to vitamin C I recommend starting with a patch test– apply one pump just in front of one ear and wait 24 hours.  If your skin tolerates it well, then you can apply all over. 

Peptides

Peptides are getting a ton of attention as collagen-supporting ingredients, and for good reason. Certain peptides, especially signal peptides—also known as matrikines—can trigger skin cells called fibroblasts to produce more collagen and elastin. These are some of my favorite ingredients to plump and lift, especially for my patients who have dry, sensitive, or reactive skin, or are seeing loss of elasticity as a result of hormonal changes like perimenopause or menopause. 

However, just because a product lists peptides on the label does not mean that they are actually effective at stimulating collagen synthesis when applied to skin. Peptides are relatively large molecules, and, as a result, can face significant challenges in topical delivery. They are also hydrophilic (water-loving), which makes it especially difficult for them to penetrate the skin’s oil-loving outer layer, (called the stratum corneum).

When we created our P46™ Serum, we leveraged not only a very specific blend of peptides at active concentrations, but also advanced formulation science to enhance peptide bioavailability, ensuring those peptides could actually do their job once they reached the skin. 

Sunscreen (Broad Spectrum SPF 30+)

UV radiation is a leading cause of collagen breakdown. Daily sunscreen is non-negotiable if you're serious about preserving collagen.  So sunscreen won’t stimulate NEW collagen, but it protects the collagen you have from being broken down.

Lifestyle Habits That Help (or Hurt) Collagen

No matter how many in-office procedures you get, and no matter how much you invest in quality skincare, if you don’t make simple changes to your lifestyle you will either sabotage your collagen-boosting efforts or you’ll simply hit a plateau. 

Here are some simple, daily changes you can implement that will make a huge difference down the line on the health of your collagen:

Eat Collagen-Supportive Foods

Focus on nutrient-dense whole foods with:

• Vitamin C (from berries, citrus, bell peppers): vitamin C acts as a co-factor for collagen synthesis. Your skin can’t make or stabilize collagen without vitamin C.  However, the human body is incapable of making its own vitamin C, so you have to get it from outside sources. So while a topical vitamin C serum is key, you should also try to get vitamin C in your diet as well. 
  
• Zinc and copper (from seeds, shellfish, nuts) are both trace minerals that are required for collagen synthesis and remodeling in the skin.
  
• Proline and glycine (found in bone broth, egg whites, fish). These are two of the most abundant amino acids in collagen’s triple helix structure. By consuming enough foods with these two amino acids, you are ensuring your fibroblasts, the skin cells that pump out collagen, have enough substrate to work with!
  
• Collagen peptides: Oral collagen supplements—especially hydrolyzed peptides—have evidence showing they support skin elasticity and hydration when used consistently.  If you want to see more on this topic, stay tuned for my blog on oral collagen for skin.
  
  

Limit Sugar 

Eating or drinking too many refined sugars (processed, refined carbs) can have a huge impact on your collagen health, and can clearly show up in your skin. Excess sugar binds to collagen and elastin fibers through a process called glycation, forming AGEs, Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). This process, over time, makes these collagen and elastin fibers stiff, brittle, and prone to breaking down much faster, which leads to sagging skin and loss of elasticity. High blood sugar and AGEs also increase oxidative stress and inflammation, which activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) — enzymes that degrade collagen.

Cut Down on Alcohol

Alcohol speeds up skin aging because when our liver metabolizes alcohol, it makes our body produce free radicals, which damage collagen. It interferes with your body’s absorption of vitamin C and zinc, and can also disturb copper metabolism. We know, from above, how critical these key nutrients are when it comes to building strong, stable collagen.  On top of that, alcohol slows down fibroblasts — the skin’s collagen-making cells — so less new collagen is produced. These critical cells need to function at their peak to produce new collagen.

Prioritize Sleep

Your skin enters repair mode during deep sleep. Growth hormone—essential for collagen production—is released at night during deep sleep (slow wave sleep). Aim for 7–9 quality hours. I know this is easier said than done, which is why I formulated Night Mode™ Capsules to help support healthy skin from the inside out. 

Manage Stress

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which breaks down collagen. Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and movement help counteract this. I'm not great at meditating, but taking walks in nature and trying to do 20 minutes of yoga a few times a week has been a powerful weapon to help me manage my stress levels. 

The takeaway: address your collagen concerns at home, first. 

In summary, collagen isn’t something you can “fix” with one product or one treatment, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about layering strategies consistently over time and taking a 3-dimensional, multi-modal approach. Start with lifestyle, layer on skincare, and if budget and time allows, consider in-office procedures. But even with my patients who invest in treatments, I always emphasize that their skin is a reflection of what’s happening beneath the surface—their daily choices matter, and if they aren’t committing to clinically-proven skincare and making some lifestyle changes, then the results won’t be as impressive and they certainly won’t last as long.

To learn more about in-office treatments that stimulate collagen production, check out my next blog!  

Disclosure: This information is for educational and informational purposes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or medical condition. All product recommendations are intended for cosmetic purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional or dermatologist regarding any concerns about your skin, health, or treatment options. Individual results may vary.

Resources: 

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Thornton M. J. (2013). Estrogens and aging skin. Dermato-endocrinology, 5(2), 264–270. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.23872 

Kamp, E., Ashraf, M., Musbahi, E., & DeGiovanni, C. (2022). Menopause, skin and common dermatoses. Part 2: skin disorders. Clinical and experimental dermatology, 47(12), 2117–2122. https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.15308 

Pujos, M., Chamayou-Robert, C., Parat, M., Bonnet, M., Couret, S., Robiolo, A., & Doucet, O. (2025). Impact of Chronic Moderate Psychological Stress on Skin Aging: Exploratory Clinical Study and Cellular Functioning. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 24(1), e16634. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.16634 

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