Collagen may be the darling of the beauty world for its purported antiwrinkle function, but too much of the protein can have ugly—even deadly—consequences. Measuring and treating this overabundance, known as fibrosis, presents a seemingly impossible challenge. Thomas Hayden visits a company in California offering a weighty solution.

The offices of KineMed in Emeryville, California seem ordinary at first. Located in a commercial district just three miles from the University of California–Berkeley, KineMed’s space resembles most any modern corporate suite. But, beyond the reception desk, break room and meeting areas, one will stumble upon something the average workplace certainly does not have: a clinical lounge. It’s here, in this spare room with a sink, a blood-drawing chair and not much else, that a visiting dermatologist arrives about once a week to remove a three-millimeter-wide plug of skin from volunteers recruited by the company.

Although the skin samples are small, they are used to measure the most abundant protein in the human body. That protein, collagen, has earned a devoted following in cosmetics circles. Walk up to a beauty counter in any department store and ask for an antiwrinkle product, and sales staff will ply you with a never-ending assortment of lotions claiming to boost collagen levels to restore skin elasticity. The importance of collagen, however, goes far beyond skin deep. The humble stuff keeps joints strong and organs firm and is a crucial part of healing wounds.

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