Collagen is a very strong and resilient protein in our bodies. In fact, many say it can be 5-10x stronger than steel! Pretty crazy, right?
Turns out, we have more collagen in our bodies than any other type of protein (1).
That being said, our bodies produce less and less collagen throughout our lives. Unfortunately, this loss of collagen as we age can have negative consequences.
You see, collagen is found in our hair, skin, nails, bones, muscles, joints, and more. If we produce less collagen over time, those tissues can lose some of their structure.
Our skin can get wrinkly. We can have brittle nails. Our hair might even start thinning.
To counteract that problem, many people have started taking collagen supplements. I’m one of them, and I’ve noticed a big difference in doing so!
Still, many people wonder, "How long before collagen works? Even more specifically, "How long does collagen take to work on hair?"
After all, one of the main reasons people will take a collagen supplement is for the potential hair benefits.
How long does collagen take to work on hair? It depends, and can vary from person to person. Some have reported changes in hair texture and strength in as little as two weeks. Hair growth, however, could take a month or longer.
I'll explain this a little more in depth later, so stick around! First, let's start with how collagen works so you can develop a better understanding.
From there, we'll dig into how long it can take for collagen to work on hair.
What Is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein, and a really unique one at that!
It's the primary building block for your skin, bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and more. It’s also found in your muscle, hair, and nails too.
Just like any other protein, collagen is made up of amino acids. It differs quite a bit, however, in terms of its amino acid profile and structure.
Three important amino acids in collagen are proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline, and they happen to be much more abundant in collagen than other proteins. In fact, without these amino acids, we wouldn't be able to produce collagen at all.
For our bodies to produce collagen, we also need a good amount of vitamin C, zinc, copper, and manganese. So, there's a little more to collagen than meets the eye.
You see, different nutrients work together in our bodies to create everything we need.
When you’re young, your body will produce collagen at full steam. That’s why your joints feel so good and your skin has no wrinkles.
But as you age, your collagen production drops, which leads to less collagen in your body. This is when you may notice sore joints, wrinkles, and weaker tendons and ligaments.
This, among several other reasons, could explain why collagen supplements have become so popular.
What Are Collagen Supplements?
Collagen supplements are there to provide you with a source of collagen when you need it.
Some collagen supplements come in capsule form. Some collagen supplements come in liquid form. But the most common type of collagen supplement you’ll find is in powdered form.
On top of that, different collagen supplements contain different types of collagen. While some focus on single types of collagen, others contain several different types.
Each type of collagen is a little different from the others, and can be found in different areas of the body. These different collagen types also play different rolls in the body. This can be important to know if you're looking to use collagen for something specific.
So, let's talk more about the different types of collagen. That way, you'll know what to look out for!
Types of Collagen
Believe it or not, there are 28 different types of collagen. When it comes to collagen supplements though, you'll most often find these 5 main types...
Type I Collagen: Found in skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments. It provides strength and structure to these tissues.
Type II Collagen: Primarily found in cartilage. It supports joint flexibility and cushioning.
Type III Collagen: Found in internal organs, blood vessels, and skin. This type works with Type I for skin elasticity and tissue repair.
Type V Collagen: Found in the cornea, muscle, liver, lungs, and the placenta. It works with other collagen types to help form their fibers properly.
Type X Collagen: Found in joint cartilage, growth plates, and lumbar discs. This collagen type aids in bone growth and healing injuries to bones and cartilage.
Now that you have a grasp on the different types of collagen, what are their benefits?
What Are the Benefits of Collagen?
There can be a lot of benefits to adding more collagen into your daily nutrition. Why else would it be all the hype if people haven't experienced this for themselves?
Let’s talk about some of the benefits that can come with collagen supplementation.
Skin Health
Collagen makes up the majority of your skin. In fact, it accounts for around 70–80% of it (3).
Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its structure. It works hand in hand with elastin to keep your skin elastic and strong.
As I mentioned though, the body produces less collagen with age. This can lead to more fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Keeping your collagen production high can help to support strong, healthy, and hydrated skin. While this won't prevent aging, it can slow the process. This is one way in which a collagen supplement could help out (4).
Joint Health
Collagen is also found in your cartilage, which makes up a large portion of your joints. It’s one of the proteins that helps cushion your joints. Without that cushion, we’d likely be in constant pain from bone on bone contact.
Ouch! Am I right?
When you make less collagen, that cartilage can begin to break down. This can lead to the development of osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis).
Adding more collagen to your diet could help to protect your joints from some of this breakdown (5).
Bone Strength
Collagen is also found in your bones, and plays a role in bone mass and strength.
Most of us have heard about how important calcium can be for our bones. At some point, you may have been told to drink milk because of it. What most people don't know is that we have roughly the same amount of collagen as we do calcium in our bones.
When collagen breaks down, it can make your bones more brittle. This is due to a loss of bone mass. Well, adding more collagen to your diet can help support bone mineral density (6).
Muscle Mass
When you work out, your muscles are actually breaking down. It's what you do outside of the gym through nutrition and recovery that allows them to grow bigger and stronger.
Well, if you didn't already know, muscle tissue is made mostly of protein and water. Remember when I said collagen has a high-concentration of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline? These amino acids are abundant in collagen, but more rare in other protein sources.
This is how collagen could be beneficial for muscle tissue. In fact, studies show collagen supplements do benefit muscle health and function (7).
Now, should collagen be your main protein source for muscle growth? No, that’s not at all what I’m saying.
What I am saying is taking collagen in addition to your other protein sources can be beneficial. It gives you a source of those amino acids you don’t get as often, but your muscles still need.
Hair & Nail Strength
Collagen also makes up part of your hair and nails. While they are mostly made of another protein called keratin, collagen still plays a role in their growth and strength.
Collagen has actually been shown to help with hair loss prevention, and hair regrowth (8).
Collagen supplements can also improve nail growth and strength (9).
This is probably why you'll hear people talk about the benefits of collagen for hair and nails. A lot of people will claim benefits such as thicker, fuller hair and strong, fast-growing nails.
How Long Does Collagen Take to Work on Hair?
Let's get back to your original question. How long does collagen take to work on hair? When can you expect to see results?
Again, this is going to depend on a variety of factors, but here is a generalized timeline to give you an idea.
Some people report new baby hairs within 6 weeks, and increased hair thickness in 16 weeks. In general, within 3 to 6 months of consistent use, individuals often observe thicker and healthier hair.
Long-term collagen use can reduce hair loss and may lead to faster-growing strands, contributing to overall hair health (8).
But, now that you have an idea as to how long it will take for collagen to work on hair ... How do you get the best results? How can you best use a collagen supplement to achieve healthy, full, hydrated, and beautiful hair?
How to Get the Best Results from Collagen Supplements
Here are three tips to help you maximize your results from collagen supplements...
1. Stay Consistent
One of the key factors in getting results from taking collagen is being consistent with taking it.
When you’re taking a collagen supplement, don’t forget to take it. Taking it regularly can help you maximize the benefits and maintain stable collagen levels.
You would be doing yourself a disservice by thinking you can take it for a month and see dramatic changes. It's kind of like anything else in life.
If you've never ran a day in your life, expecting to complete a mile in 6 minutes after a month of training may not be very realistic. But if you continue to train consistently, eventually you will reach that goal.
So, I always recommend forming a good routine for taking your collagen - One that works best for you!
2. Choose a Multi-Source Collagen Supplement
Don’t get me wrong … Taking a single sourced collagen powder like bovine collagen can be beneficial. Really, it comes down to what you're trying to get out of the collagen.
With a single-source collagen supplement, you'd be missing out on the benefits other types of collagen can offer. In my opinion, the most ideal approach would be to use a blend of all 5 of the main collagen types.
This can give your body a more diverse amino acid profile to use as needed.
3. Continue Usage
You’re not going to see results in a day or two. I wish you could, but it’s just not how our bodies work.
Real results from collagen supplements require consistent use over time. So, even if you feel discouraged at times, keep taking it.
It may take time, but that time can be well worth it. Your skin, hair, nails, joints, and more will all thank you!
Try 1st Phorm Collagen with Dermaval: The Industry-Leading Collagen Supplement
As you now know, collagen can have a long list of benefits. There's more collagen than any other protein in your body! That should at least give us a clue about just how important it can be.
This is why collagen supplements have become so popular and can make a difference. The one you choose matters, and not every supplement is the same.
At 1st Phorm, our mission is to help real people earn real and long-term results. We know you don't take shortcuts when it comes to your goals. That's why we don't take any shortcuts when it comes to the products that can help support your goals.
As someone who uses it personally, I swear by 1st Phorm Collagen with Dermaval. I continue to choose it time and time again for it's top-tier quality and amazing taste. Oh, and did I mention that Collagen with Dermaval is a multi-source collagen powder that contains all 5 of the main collagen types we talked about today?
As if that's not enough, Collagen with Dermaval comes with a bonus. It's in the name! Collagen with Dermaval contains 50mg of Dermaval. This is a superfood antioxidant blend that can help support healthy levels of elastin.
Elastin happens to be what helps keep skin elastic - Allowing it to stretch and return back to it's normal shape. Consider it a bonus which can help support healthy, youthful-looking skin.
With the all the amazing flavors Collagen with Dermaval comes in, you really can't go wrong. I love mixing the salted caramel in my coffee first thing in the morning. If you use coffee creamer, this couldbe a substituteto getyour daily dose of collagen!
...and for those of you who prefer natural sweeteners, it's also available as Collagen Natural with Dermaval. It’s the same quality product, but with no artificial flavors or sweeteners.
If you’re really wanting to maximize the health of your hair, skin, and nails ... We also offer Hair Skin Nail Essentials too.
I know we covered a lot today. With that being said, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!
We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
Try Collagen with Dermaval today!
References:
(1) Wu M, Cronin K, Crane JS. Biochemistry, Collagen Synthesis. [Updated 2023 Sep 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507709.
(2) Karin I. Pappelbaum, Nicolina Virgilio, Lisa Epping, Bastiaan van der Steen, Francisco Jimenez, Wolfgang Funk, Janne Prawitt, Marta Bertolini, Revealing novel insights on how oral supplementation with collagen peptides may prevent hair loss: Lessons from the human hair follicle organ culture, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 116, 2024, 106124, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2024.106124.
(3) Oikarinen A. Aging of the skin connective tissue: how to measure the biochemical and mechanical properties of aging dermis. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 1994 Apr;10(2):47-52. PMID: 8043384.
(4) Pu SY, Huang YL, Pu CM, Kang YN, Hoang KD, Chen KH, Chen C. Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 26;15(9):2080. doi: 10.3390/nu15092080. PMID: 37432180; PMCID: PMC10180699.
(5) Martínez-Puig D, Costa-Larrión E, Rubio-Rodríguez N, Gálvez-Martín P. Collagen Supplementation for Joint Health: The Link between Composition and Scientific Knowledge. Nutrients. 2023 Mar 8;15(6):1332. doi: 10.3390/nu15061332. PMID: 36986062; PMCID: PMC10058045.
(6) König D, Oesser S, Scharla S, Zdzieblik D, Gollhofer A. Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 16;10(1):97. doi: 10.3390/nu10010097. PMID: 29337906; PMCID: PMC5793325.
(7) Inacio PAQ, Gomes YSM, de Aguiar AJN, Lopes-Martins PSL, Aimbire F, Leonardo PS, Sá Filho AS, Lopes-Martins RAB. The Effects of Collagen Peptides as a Dietary Supplement on Muscle Damage Recovery and Fatigue Responses: An Integrative Review. Nutrients. 2024 Oct 8;16(19):3403. doi: 10.3390/nu16193403. PMID: 39408370; PMCID: PMC11478671.
(8) Hwang SB, Park HJ, Lee BH. Hair-Growth-Promoting Effects of the Fish Collagen Peptide in Human Dermal Papilla Cells and C57BL/6 Mice Modulating Wnt/β-Catenin and BMP Signaling Pathways. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 7;23(19):11904. doi: 10.3390/ijms231911904. PMID: 36233206; PMCID: PMC9569759.
(9) Hexsel D, Zague V, Schunck M, Siega C, Camozzato FO, Oesser S. Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2017 Dec;16(4):520-526. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12393. Epub 2017 Aug 8. PMID: 28786550.
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