Young people losing glow too soon? Dermat explains why early collagen loss happens

Young people are showing early signs of ageing with the loss of collagen. Here's what you should eat to tackle it.
Collagen is one of the most important proteins for healthy skin, responsible for maintaining its youthful glow, bouncy texture, and supple firmness. For good reason, this powerhouse protein takes the centre stage. But as we age, the collagen production decreases, giving way to the signs of ageing like fine lines and wrinkles.
Surprisingly, nowadays, it's not only restricted to old people; young people can also show early signs of ageing because of collagen loss.
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Nutritionist Shilpa Arora took to Instagram to reveal the reasons behind early ageing and collagen loss in young people.
Reasons behind collagen loss in young kids

Collagen production naturally declines with age, but shockingly, even young people are experiencing early collagen loss. Modern lifestyles, poor dietary choices, and environmental factors are silently sabotaging this essential protein and beckoning early ageing.
Shipa shared these as the prime lifestyle reasons why:
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Exposure to harsh sun rays
- Sugary foods
- Junk food
A combination of poor lifestyle choices and environmental factors add to early collagen loss.
But the good news is that with adequate nutrition, one can help support their collagen production, strengthening it.
Collagen foods

Shilpa elaborated that for collagen synthesis, vitamin C-rich foods play an essential role. They help boost the body’s natural collagen production and are important for maintaining healthy, youthful skin.
She also shared a few simple recipes and suggestions:
- Blend amla with coconut water and curry leaves. This mix is rich in vitamin C and supports collagen production.
- For non-vegetarians, she recommended bone broth, which is packed with nutrients that aid collagen synthesis.
- Eggs and dairy products are also beneficial, as they contain key amino acids essential for collagen production.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
ABOUT THE AUTHORAdrija DeyAdrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More
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