What happens to collagen as you age?
After age 40, we lose about 1 percent of the collagen in our bodies each year. By age 80, collagen loss can reach 75 percent. With less collagen to support tendons and ligaments, many people develop chronic pain that prevents them from staying active.
Meanwhile, as collagen levels decline in the dermis, an inner skin layer, skin sags and becomes wrinkled. A variety of factors can accelerate that process. Studies show that over time, smoking, alcohol, UV light, and high sugar consumption all lower collagen production and make the protein weaker, leading to more wrinkled skin.
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What are collagen supplements?
The market is full of collagen products, but they are not regulated like drugs. As a dietary supplement, collagen does not require premarket review and approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s website states: “The FDA does NOT have the authority to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness, or to approve their labeling, before the supplements are sold to the public.”
Products may advertise collagen derived from beef (bovine), fish (marine), chicken, or other sources. They may specify the form, such as Type I or III. Some labels use the words “collagen peptides” or “hydrolyzed collagen.” Both are short chains of amino acids that are easier to absorb than whole collagen proteins. Supplements may be in the form of pills, powders, gummies, or drinks.
It is safe to take collagen daily, Zumpano says.
What is the evidence that these supplements work for skin?
Collagen is a primary ingredient in many of the filler injections used in cosmetic procedures, which can plump up the skin temporarily before getting broken down by the body, Kenkare says.
Some studies suggest that collagen supplements might lead to modest improvements in the integrity of your skin, Zumpano says. But all come with caveats.
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For example, one 2021 review of 19 studies that included 1,125 people, mostly women, found evidence of reduced wrinkles and improved skin elasticity and hydration in people who took collagen supplements. All the supplements, however, included other ingredients that may have contributed to those results, according to an analysis by dermatologists at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
