In this segment, the presenter explains a biochemical cascade that underlies age‑related decline in skin healing. As we get older, collagen fibers become increasingly cross‑linked and "glued" together, forming a dense matrix that physically blocks remodeling enzymes. The GHK peptide, normally free to bind copper and deliver it to sites of tissue repair, becomes trapped within this stiffened collagen and cannot be accessed. Consequently, less copper reaches the wound area, and because copper is essential for the enzymes that remodel and synthesize new collagen, the overall capacity for skin repair diminishes. The explanation links three key processes—collagen stiffening, GHK sequestration, and copper deficiency—to the observed slowdown in skin regeneration with age.
