Abstract

Objectives: True rejuvenation is not possible without proteostasis which is established by a harmonious protein balance and interaction. Several cellular processes are necessary for true antiaging. These include metabolic, multicellular organismal processes, extracellular structure organization, protein development and transport, catabolic events and adequate cellular communication. Introduction: All traumatic procedures increase collagen. The glorification of “collagen” has rendered it synonymous with youth maintenance. There are 7 types of collagen involved in skin integrity and 18,127 proteins determine the age of the human epidermis only. Around 8,987 proteins control the outer epidermis, the stratum corneum, and 9,140 proteins are the brains of the inner epidermis, comprising cell layers down to the basal membrane. Overall, collagen is 1/18,127 proteins on the human epidermis only and 1/200,000,000 proteins in the entire body as estimated by the 2024 Nobel prize in Chemistry. Materials / method: Proteostasis is the dynamic regulation of a balanced/functional proteome. Aging is the loss of protein homeostasis. The body cannot produce collagen because of the inefficient protein to protein communications and the systematic unfolding of proteins that renders proteins non-functional interfering with the instructions necessary for the body repair mechanisms to produce new collagens. The proteostasis network includes competing and integrated biological pathways within cells that control: * biogenesis * protein folding * protein trafficking * protein degradation. Results: A number of cellular processes are necessary for true antiaging. These include metabolic, multicellular organismal processes, extracellular structure organization, protein development and transport, catabolic events and adequate cellular communication and stimulus response This presentation is designed to unpack the Collagen miracle to see if the Emperor has no clothes. Hundreds of devices market themselves as increasing the production of collagen forgetting that keloids are an excess of collagen. Conclusion: Importantly, one cannot have true rejuvenation without proteostasis: the balance of proteins within their optimal range and their harmonious interactions. Proteostasis is what determines aging and disease. Hormones are proteins and the deleterious effects of hormonal imbalance has been widely explored and are well known. Protein balance is the same as hormonal balance. Without balance, the freshness and natural glow of youth are forever lost and patients look puffed up and wrinkle-free, yet artificial. Importantly, they don't look younger because they don't have that freshness and natural glow