Light and photobiomodulation
Collagen Synthesis
Collagen synthesis is the process by which cells, mainly fibroblasts in skin, build collagen — the fibrous protein that gives skin, tendon and bone their structure and tensile strength. It requires vitamin C and slows with age and ultraviolet exposure.
Also called collagen production, collagen formation
The biology. Fibroblasts assemble procollagen chains inside the cell, hydroxylate specific proline and lysine residues in a reaction that requires vitamin C and iron, secrete the result, and then crosslink it outside the cell into collagen fibrils. Type I collagen dominates in skin, bone and tendon. Production declines with age and with cumulative ultraviolet damage, which is the main structural reason skin thins and wrinkles.
Why it matters here
Collagen is what most people have in mind when they ask about red light and skin.