Collagen is the general name for a group of proteins that form elongated fibers, usually found in the supportive, fibrous or connective tissue. Collagen represents the largest amount of protein present in the body. Collagen can be found in blood vessels, bones, ligaments, and largely in the skin. On the other hand, elastin is also a similar protein to collagen because it is also found in connective tissues, but it has elastic properties. The elastin forms elastic fibers, and they are largely responsible for the elastic properties of the skin. Because of these elastic properties, elastin can stretch and still return to its original form. In contrast, collagen does not have this ability because it is a fibrous protein.
Another difference is that; unlike collagen that is available in abundance in the body, elastin is not available in the same proportion as collagen. It is very easy to differentiate between collagen and elastin in terms of color because the former is white in color, while the latter is yellow.