Be careful when using collagen supplements for your skin! What are the tricks about the effects of collagen skin health and the use of supplements?
Advancing age, smoking, excessive stress, air pollution and inactivity cause reduced collagen, which gives the skin flexibility and vitality. In this case, sagging, wrinkles, matting and dryness can be seen on the skin.
Products that are offered in the form of tablets, capsules, powders, liquids and even gums as supplements to give collagen lost to the skin are frequently preferred. However, it is important that these products are used consciously under expert control.
Experts gave information about the effects of collagen on skin health and what to consider when using supplements.
Collagen is important not only for the skin, but for our whole body!
Collagen,whose name is often referred to as skin health, is actually a structural protein that is essential for our whole body. Collagen is the raw material of the body’s scaffolding. Its main task is to strengthen the connective tissue and maintain body integrity. Besides the skin, there is also plenty of collagen in the bones, joints, tendons and muscles.
70-80% of the dermis, the middle layer of the skin, is collagen. Collagen is one of the important factors affecting skin strengthening, elasticity and water retention capacity. Collagen production decreases as we age and approximately 1% is lost every year, especially after the age of 20.
As a result, the skin loses its elasticity, drying, sagging, wrinkles, sunspots, thin skin and brittle nails appear on the skin. Collagen alleviates the signs of aging, helping the person to have brighter, livelier skin and look younger.
Collagen supplements sold to prevent this situation are used by many men and women. However, the expert should be consulted for safe use.
Are collagen supplements working?
Collagen supplements are offered for sale with the claim that they trigger collagen production on the skin, making the skin more moisturized, tense and soft. The feedback from people who use these products is that within months the result begins to appear and the skin is brighter and the nails are more firm.
According to the scientific researches that have been done in a small number of subjects, collagen peptides contained in collagen supplements help reduce skin dryness and wrinkles. In a study, it was found that the elasticity of the skin of women who took collagen supplements for eight weeks increased and deep wrinkles decreased.
Successful result in regular use
After 12 weeks of intake, 1 gr per day, skin dryness decreased by 76%, lines decreased by 12%, skin blood flow improved and collagen increased by 6%. 8 Studies reported that collagen supplementation provides decreased skin aging, increased skin elasticity, hydration (water retention), increased dermal collagen density. Collagen supplementation is usually safe and has no reported side effects. But extensive scientific studies are needed to prove all this. However, collagen supplementation is thought to be promising in different areas of medicine.
Pay attention to the product selection!
Collagen supplements can be found as tablets, capsules, powders, liquids and even gum. When collagen is taken as an external supplement, it first breaks down into the amino acids, which are the building blocks in the digestive tract, and mixes into the blood as amino acids. In order to overcome this problem, supplements containing hydrolyzed collagen, which is a slightly more fragmented form of collagen, have been developed.
Ideal for increasing bio-availability is the preference of hydrolysis, peptide collagens and liquid forms. The amount of collagen used also affects the result. The collagen content of the supplement should preferably be 10 g or at least 5 g.
In order to support collagen synthesis, the supplement containing copper, zinc, vitamin C can increase its effectiveness. It would be the right choice to opt for low molecular weight (around 3000 dalton) collagens in order to absorb collagen supplements more and ensure high biological benefit.
Consult a doctor before use
There are different types of collagen and different textures are of different density. For example, collagen type 1 and 3 make up 70 percent of the skin. In this case, if you are going to use collagen to support your skin, you should prefer type 1 and 3 collagen mixtures, especially type 1 collagen. It is also effective to use type 1 and type 3 collagen mixtures while supporting them for the integrity of your hair and nails.
The source of collagen in supplementation can be fish, chicken or cattle. Those containing fish-derived collagen are often recommended. Collagen from fish is of a smaller molecular size, which increases absorption, i.e. bioavailability. Those who are allergic to shellfish should also pay attention to this situation.
It is very important to consult a doctor before starting collagen supplementation. Especially pregnant women, nursing mothers, those who are allergic to seafood, beef and chicken meat and diabetics may also experience undesirable effects due to these products.
Important recommendations for activating collagen tissue
First of all, lifestyle changes are required to stay healthy. It is not the right approach to expect a miraculous effect using only a nutritional supplement. The first thing to do is to protect the existing collagen.
To protect your own collagen:
- Exercise is the most effective way to support collagen production. Exercise regularly.
- Eating healthy and balanced; try to get proteins, vitamins and minerals from real foods.
- Foods such as bone broth, eggs, fish and beans are ideal in this regard. One of the effective ways to increase collagen production and maintain the existing one is to use retinol, a derivative of vitamin A. In addition to retinol, vitamin C serums reduce collagen destruction with antioxidant effect.
- To protect your skin from collagen destruction, stop smoking, be sure to avoid the sun, get regular and adequate sleep, and do not consume sugar and refined products.
- Laser, fractional radiofrequency (golden needle), dermapen, dermaroller, PRP applications that stimulate collagen production in the skinshould be selected by a dermatologist according to age and need and applied regularly.
Resources:
- Franchesca D. Choi BS RPh. Calvin T. Sung BS. Margit L.W. et al. “Oral Collagen Supplementation:A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications.” JDDonline.com – Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. (January 2019). https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961619P0009X
- Lodish,H., Berk, A., et al. 2000. Collagen: The Fibrous Proteins Of The Matrix. [online]Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21582
- Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E., & Zouboulis, C.C. (2012). Skin anti-aging strategies. Dermato-endocrinology, 4(3), 308–319. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22804
- Proksch, E &Schunck, Michael &Zague, V & Segger, Dörte & Degwert, Joachim & Oesser,S. (2013). Oral Intake of Specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Increases Dermal Matrix Synthesis. Skin pharmacology and physiology. 27. 113-119. 10.1159/000355523.
- Moskowitz, R. W. Sciencedirect.com Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease. (May 2002). https://doi.org/10.1053/sarh.2000.9622