The explorer Ponce de Leon famously went to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. But if you listen to social media influencers, he should probably have headed to the to pick up some collagen.
"I'm in my 40s and if I shave, I look like I'm in my mid-20s," a Tiktok creator who goes by Shop By Jake claims . "People ask me all the time, what do you do for your skin? I take collagen," he says.
Claims about the health and beauty benefits of collagen supplements are commonplace these days, especially online. But does the evidence back the hype?
The claim
Collagen supplements can promote healthier skin, hair and nails, and stronger joints.
The theory
Collagen is the most . It's found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bones. It helps maintain our skin's elasticity and volume. It's a structural protein, so it gives strength and integrity to our tissues and keeps joints strong, among other things. But starting in our 20s, the amount and quality of the collagen our bodies produce declines.
Factors liksmoking and exposure tocan speed up that decline. But it's going to happen with age regardless, which is why lots of people turn to collagen supplements.
Collagen supplements generally come in two main forms. are basically collagen that's been broken down into smaller chains of amino acids to make them easier to absorb. They're derived from animal sources, such as fish, cattle, pigs or chicken. That's typically what's used in supplements aimed at improving skin and hair, as well as joint health.
"The theory is that if you ingest [a collagen supplement,] it goes through the GI tract and gets absorbed and then it theoretically goes to places to support or increase collagen production," says , a board-certified dermatologist with Northwestern Medicine in Naperville, Ill.
The second main form of supplement is , which hasn't been broken down. It's derived from chickens. Most of the collagen found in cartilage is type II. These kinds of supplements are thought to promote joint health by triggering the immune system to produce chemical messengers that tamp down inflammation.
So what does the research say?
The evidence
Let's start with skin.
When it comes to skin health, there are studies that suggest collagen supplements work.
"There have been randomized controlled trials that have shown that after 8 to 12 weeks of collagen supplementation, things like depth of wrinkles, skin elasticity, dermal thickness seem to be improved," says, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
One found that, compared with a placebo, people taking collagen supplements had better skin hydration, elasticity and improvements in wrinkles.
A was published this year. It looked at 23 randomized controlled trials with more than 1,400 patients who took collagen supplements for skin issues, and it also found significant improvements in those same areas after 90 days.
But Senna says those findings came with a big caveat: The studies that found the biggest improvements were lower-quality and were funded by the supplement industry, she says.
"High-quality studies and studies not funded by industry did not show a significant association rate," Senna says.
Given that, the state of the evidence when it comes to collagen supplements for skin is mixed at best, says dermatologist Lauren Taglia. "As physician-scientists, we would love to see studies done on a large scale and done independently," she says.
It's a similar story when it comes to collagen supplements for joint health. Studies have shown benefits — such as in .
But again, much of the research is industry funded, so it can be hard to disentangle potential bias, says , an osteoarthritis researcher and professor at Boston University.
One found that most of the studies of collagen supplements for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis were too low quality to determine whether they really helped. Some studies included in that review reported adverse effects, such as an exacerbation of symptoms.
"With respect to collagen, I don't know what the right answer is," Felson says. It could potentially help, but "there are no large scale studies here and there need to be," he says.
The bottom line
If it's healthier skin you're after, collagen supplements "could be helpful, but there's not a ton of strong evidence to support them at this point," Taglia says.
Your best bet is to focus on things that do have robust evidence behind them, says , an assistant professor of dermatology at the Ohio State University. That includes and using , which have been clinically proven to stimulate collagen production. Keeping your skin moisturized is also important.
Lifestyle factors matter too, Jonas says. She recommends a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants like vitamin C, and nuts and seeds, which are good sources of zinc and copper and help support collagen production.
"We always talk about diet, making sure patients are eating a healthy Mediterranean diet that's well-balanced, avoiding alcohol, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke," Jonas says.
And , adds Senna. Poor sleep and stress can , while exercise can improve blood flow to the skin and may that comes with aging.
That's not just good for skin, but overall health, too.
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