A Japanese beauty trend involving the consumption of copious amounts of collagen laden food has been gaining fame abroad. Both the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph of London ran stories on the concept this month, exploring its merits and citing Japan’s famous propensity for fads as a probable cause.  Perfect skin seekers in this country have been taking the inside out approach to soft, clear faces for some time now.

While many companies are reporting steady sales, some researchers are snorting at the alleged benefits of such products, painting an “Emperor’s New Clothes” patina on the whole phenomenon. The Japan Times recently quoted one expert’s withering assertion that “consumers are not scientific”, a thinly veiled quote of condescension if there ever was one. Regardless, the collagen ingestion club continues to welcome new members every day. Of course, the idea of nutrition contributing to overall physical health is as old as the hills. So, too, is strategic eating in the pursuit of specific benefits.

How many times have mothers implored children to drink their milk or eat their carrots? The one difference might lie in the shift of priorities, as yesterday’s hopes for strong bones and sharp eyesight have been replaced by flawless face fanaticism. Case in point: a recent girl’s night out at a popular yakitori-ya. “Have you tried their tsukune?” Rie asked me. “Yeah, but I didn’t love it,” I answered quickly, “Too much cartilage, so chewy!”” “Are you crazy?” she exclaimed. “Let’s get two orders!” “Um, ok, I guess you like cartilage?” “Not really, but it’s got heaps of collagen and I want better skin.” Later on, following an especially sweaty dance class, a bunch of friends and I headed out for refreshment. It was a different night and a different crowd, but the star ingredient was the same. Everyone ordered some version of a sour with an added injection of collagen. I asked them if they really thought it was going to make a difference and they were all surprisingly hopeful. In retrospect, I suppose sipping my way to perfect skin shouldn’t have seemed any more ridiculous than the fact that I had just hit up the gym and was now attempting to rehydrate with a cocktail.

Only the passage of time can prove whether or not these little bits of alleged goodness will all add up to the ageless visage we all crave. In the meantime, the philosophy of eating to improve one’s appearance is certainly an improvement over the starvation diets that have been de rigeur for the past few decades. What’s your strategy for saving face?