Drinking collagen? Unveiling new anti-aging strategies

HOUSTON, TX -       The beauty products industry is expected to reach an astonishing $265 billion this year!  While there are many creams and supplements that claim they'll make you look younger, doctors say it all comes down to one thing. and that is collagen!  It's what makes the youth look youthful!  We found out there are quite a few ways you can rebuild collagen.  Katina Kearns, the Owner of Renew Body Contouring and Medical Spa, explains why collagen is so important to everyone.  "It keeps our bone structure solid, keeps tissues combined, it helps with age, makes our face plump, it keeps the wrinkles not so wrinkled and the bags not so bagged," she says. 
        The problem is our bodies start reducing the amount of collagen we build in our 20's, so how do you fight the inevitable?  Most people always get Kelly Anzilotti's age wrong.  She's 55 years old, but often gets mistaken to be in her 30's!  She believes she has remained youthful by replacing collagen in numerous ways.  First of all, she takes a supplement form of collagen, and she hopes it's working.  "It's hard to say with vitamins - you're ingesting it. I feel like my hair grows better, for sure my nails grow," says Kelly. 
        Others try to drink their way into younger looking skin!  "Taut" is a liquid version that consists of collagen from wild caught fish in Japan.
        Other simple ways to rebuild collagen include eating fish, lean meats, bone broth, low-fat dairy, and egg whites.    
        As for products, daily creams that contain retinol or Vitamin C may help stop collagen from breaking down so quickly.  Doctors say wearing sunscreen every day, even in the wintertime, can also protect your collagen and stop it from breaking down so quickly. 
        "I feel like I look better than I did ten years ago, I feel better than I did ten years ago!   I use Factor Five & it's increasing my collagen, texture, and my complexion," says Kelly. 
        While Kelly says she would never consider plastic surgery, she has tried minimally invasive procedures to rebuild collagen.  The injectable, Sculptra, is one of them.  "I started Sculptra in 2012, I truly believe in it 100%.  It lasts 2-years typically," says Kelly.  "Sculptra uses micro-fine collagen beads to help introduce new collagen into the tissue to cause better growth.  After a few years, you see your skin looking younger, more radiant, filled out, and plump," explains Katina.
        Kelly has also tried a procedure called "micro-needling", which uses a collagen pen that has fine micro needles.  That runs over the skin to cause a small amount of bleeding.  Then, the micro-needles force that into Kelly's skin, to prompt her body to build even more.  "She gets her face numb, no pain.  We spin it down in a centrifuge.  It separates the red blood cells from white blood cells, which gives us that platelet rich plasma, which is that pure collagen, that we call "liquid gold", explains Katina.
        There's another new minimally invasive procedure that requires little downtime, to rebuild collagen... and we have video from Dr. Young Cho.  "The latest and greatest is the InstaLift procedure, which is a dissolvable suture with little collagen beads attached to it.  They do a small incision and pull it through like needle and thread - boom - you have a nice, quick instant face lift.  It takes no more than 15 minutes and lasts a couple of years," says Katina.    "I'm glad we have all these options!  Some are instant some are long-term, but I feel that I look the best now that I've ever looked," smiles Kelly.
        For more information, renewbodycontouring.com