Can taking Collagen supplements help prevent wrinkles? Hype or fact?
Updated: Jan 26
What is Collagen? Collagen Loss causes Where do supplements come in?
It's a universal aspiration to appear younger. In today's anti-aging culture, women are constantly inundated with advice on how to delay or even reverse the body's natural aging process. But how do you know what to trust and what actually works? While we can't say for certain that your $100 night cream isn't making your face look younger, there is one affordable supplement that has been shown time and time again in scientific studies to actually reduce those wrinkles everyone is so desperately trying to avoid.
We're going to talk more about how collagen has been shown in numerous studies to reduce signs the aging process, but first, let's define what collagen actually is.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein produced naturally by the body that provides strength and elasticity, in fact it is the most abundant protein found within the human body, it can be found in our muscles, skin and bones. (1)
Keeping collagen levels at a healthy level has many benefits for the body, including improving the heart's health, the joints' mobility, and the protection of vital organs. Collagen is also found to increase skin elasticity, and we’ll shortly look at studies that focus on how collagen affects skin elasticity—the key factor in minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—to see if it can help you look younger. Now, though, let's take a quick look at some of the possible causes of Collagen loss.
Collagen loss causes
Aging is the main reason why our bodies don't make as much collagen as they used to. In our 20s, around age 25, we start making a lot less collagen. This slows down even more as we get older and speeds up a lot when we hit menopause, though the exact timing is different for each person. As we age, this reduction in collagen, is what causes fine lines and wrinkles show up.(2)
Where do supplements come in?
Collagen is available in powder or tablet form as a dietary supplement. There has been talk of a revolution in the fields of dermatology and cosmetics thanks to collagen supplements. (3) Given the importance of collagen in aging, is it possible to artificially supplement with Collagen and achieve the same results? The research has shown tremendous promise...
Evaluated research:
According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology (4), both short-term and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin ageing showed encouraging results. Collagen supplements taken orally were shown to increase dermal collagen density, skin elasticity, and moisture levels. The loss of elasticity in the skin is responsible for wrinkles, right? It's encouraging to see that collage enhancement supplements are showing promise. Moreover, there have been no unintended consequences linked to taking collagen supplements. (4)
The fact that this study is a systematic review—a fancy term for a "overview" of multiple studies in the same field—makes it even better. This study incorporated data from 11 studies comprising 805 patients!
We also looked at another systematic review (you'll notice that we like this kind of research) to see if that would be enough to reassure you to jump on the Collagen bandwagon. This 2022 (3) study analysed data between 2010 and 2020 on the beneficial effects of oral and topical collagen supplements. According to the results of the research, It would appear that the elasticity, moisture, and hydration of the skin are all improved by taking either type of collagen supplement. The anti-aging effects of collagen supplements have been extensively studied, and no reported side effects exist at this time (3). By combining the findings of these two large-scale studies, it seems reasonable to conclude that Collagen supplements do, in fact, improve skin elasticity and a result, reduce signs or wrinkles and fine lines!
Quick Summary
Collagen is a naturally produced protein that is important for protecting heart, joints and skin. Collagen in particular is responsible for creating elasticity within your skin, partly responsible for fine lines and wrinkles.
Collagen levels begin to reduce at the age of 25 and continue to do so as you get older.
Taking Collagen supplements in the form of both oral and topical have been shown by rigorous scientific method to increase Collagen levels in your body and reduce the affects of aging such as elasticity and skin moisture.
Finally, we can say that taking Collagen supplements has been proven to slow the ageing process!
References:
1. Shoulders, M. D., & Raines, R. T. (2009). Collagen structure and stability. Annual review of biochemistry, 78, 929–958. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.biochem.77.032207.120833
2. Cannarozzo, G., Fazia, G., Bennardo, L., Tamburi, F., Amoruso, G. F., Del Duca, E., & Nisticò, S. P. (2021). A new 675 nm laser device in the treatment of facial aging: A prospective observational study. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery, 39(2), 118-122.
3. Al-Atif, H. (2022). Collagen supplements for aging and wrinkles: a paradigm shift in the fields of dermatology and cosmetics. Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, 12(1).
4. Choi, F. D., Sung, C. T., Juhasz, M. L., & Mesinkovsk, N. A. (2019). Oral collagen supplementation: a systematic review of dermatological applications. Journal of drugs in dermatology: JDD, 18(1), 9-16.