Has anyone noticed visible skin or hair benefits from collagen supplements?

[Hi1985]

Collagen supplements….
anyone taking them and have noticed a visible improvement in skin/hair etc? I’ve been so tempted but don’t want to fall victim to media sensationalism!

I replied but it’s been hidden. No clue why, I didn’t swear or anything 😂

I started taking collagen due to significant hair loss. Half of MN will pile on to tell you collagen is bollocks, the other half will tell you it works. I lose far less hair than I had been, so for me, it's worth continuing with - my hair is now as thick as it was 10 years ago.

Have a read of this

I had that horrendous crepey skin appear on my arms a couple of years ago (post menopause). I could see it myself and it was clear in photos too 😟 I do weight training so wasn't due to muscle loss.

I take collagen supplements now (H&B) and there's been a definite improvement.

I haven’t been paying attention to skin and hair, but daily collagen powder really helped my aching knees!

I take viviscal, which is some collagen but also a bunch of other vitamins, don't know what it is that works in there. Makes a really clear difference, when I don't take it for a while i lose a ton more hair than when I do.

I have very fine hair and that has definitely thickened up on collagen. My nails are a lot stronger and have grown beautifully since being on it too. Not sure about my skin to be honest although I guess it has helped me look less haggered under the eyes in the morning (this may just be wishful thinking on my part though 😂).

It’s really helped my joints and back pain! I didn’t notice much difference in skin and hair (I’m in my 30s), but I’ve had such a reduction in back pain since I started using collagen powder a couple of years ago

Scientifically it can't work, other than by increasing your protein intake in a very expensive manner. All proteins, including collagen, are broken down to their constituent amino acids ready for uptake through the gut wall. Your body has no way of knowing that these amino acids are supposed to make collagen in your hair follicles or in your skin. It will just use the protein where your body needs it.

I have the same experience. The viviscal site with subscribe and save is the cheapest ive found it. Has an odd taste but worth the money IMO

Makes my nails grow so they can stay long.

Hair is made from keratin not collagen. So any additional protein would have the same effect. It’s not even a complete protein.

No difference here.

Would folks mind linking the collagen that they take…

It's an expensive way to eat more protein. But the extra protein in your diet will benefit your skin, hair, nails, joints etc. If you currently eat less than you need. (around 100g a day)
If you want to a cheaper way to have the same effect you could supplement with whey powder instead, or just eat more meat, fish, eggs, diary.

If you eat more oily fish eg salmon or mackerel you'd see benefits from the extra protein and the extra omega fatty acids. 2 birds, one stone. No processed supplements

This is absolutely true.
Your body needs the right amino acids, vitamin C and energy to make collagen. So you need to eat sufficient protein (90 to 110g ish a day for a woman), citrus fruit/berries, and not be in a silly low calorie deficit.

The other thing to keep in mind is that UV breaks down collagen faster than we synthesise it, so sun protection is very important

So basically I could save myself a load of money buy just getting more protein into my diet? I was in H and B today looking at the collagen and it's so expensive.

Yep

I got the same result from HRT

Can I ask what strength/brand? There are so many on the market with different strengths etc and I can’t quite work out which is the best - esp as they are all so expensive!

I do find if I make my own bone broth and drink it regularly it speeds up healing, but I have never seen any massive effects from taking the supplements.
If I want instantaneous skin and hair results though I just eat loads of spinach and drink lots of water and vitamin c, which always makes me look better quickly and makes my hair shinier and skin more glowy.

I have very thick hair and collagen made it even thicker! It did however also give me noticeably smoother skin.

Sadly it also started to trigger my IBS so I've had to stop using it. I'm now saggy and haggard again but far less likely to shit myself, so it's swings and roundabouts 😆