Novel collagen delivery shows promise for wrinkle reduction

An oral disintegrating collagen film demonstrates potential antiageing efficacy, reducing skin wrinkle depth while increasing skin elasticity and density, as shown in a study.

The study included 22 women (mean age 48 years) with wrinkles around their eyes. All of them applied a single collagen film to the inner lining of both cheeks before bed for 12 weeks. They were asked to keep track of any adverse events experienced while using the film, as well as to rate their treatment satisfaction on the 5-point global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS; grade 1 = worse; grade 2 = no change; grade 3 = somewhat improved; grade 4 = moderately improved; grade 5 = very much improved).

Researchers performed immunofluorescence and high-performance liquid chromatography analyses to measure the clinical indicators of skin integrity and compare the absorption rates of collagen films and conventional oral tablets via the mucosa.

Twelve weeks of treatment led to a reduction in periorbital wrinkles (crow’s feet), with wrinkle depth decreasing by 20.56 percent from baseline (p<0.05) and the number of wrinkles dropping 10.04 (p<0.05). There were parallel improvements in skin surface elasticity, skin elasticity resilience, and skin density.

In terms of patients’ satisfaction, 17 participants (77.3 percent) reported the periorbital wrinkles after the oral collagen film application as ‘moderately improved’ or ‘very much improved’. No one reported ‘worse’ or ‘no change’. There were also no reports of adverse events.

The findings indicate that the novel mode of delivery of collagen via oral disintegrating films has clinical potential and is safe and convenient for daily use.