Collagen

[Aggie1]

My nails are soft. My wife bought a supply of collagen. The container says it also helps with hair growth. Does that apply to facial hair too? Hope not. I also read somewhere that it can help with breast development. Not sure what to believe.

 

Does anyone take collagen and what is your experience?

[LaurenA]

I'm using a collagen/biotin shampoo for my hair and a biotin supplement for my nails.  I think my nails are harder.  No clue about the hair.

[Jackie C.]

There's a lot of factors honestly. For example, I'm protein loading and it makes my nails super brittle no matter what else I add to the mix. They're sharp as heck though. I'm like a bag of pudding filled with knives.

 

Hugs!

[ValerieRun]

Collagen supplement claims to help with collagen deficiency for hair/nails/skin, all the areas where it is used as building and holding material. No help with breast growth.

There is no guarantee that it works, but then it is all in ours heads ? I choose to believe that it does. And that my hair definitely improved thanks to the supplements, and that my skin is glowing because its swimming in collagen ? No help with my nails though.

You have to take it for substantial amount of time before you "would feel the changes", which is roughly 6-9 months based on the literature. I have been using it daily for over a year now, so I must be in that "all is improved" stage.

 

And as always, YMMV

[Drayse]

Let me preface by disclosing that I am NOT and expert. Now....

 

Collagen is a protein, and like all proteins it gets broken down into amino acids and rebuilt into whatever protein you're body requires and can build with those amino acids. There seems to be research that supports its use as a collagen replenisher, but as I understand it the evidence is flimsy at best. So I guess I never understood how collagen is supposed to target problem areas the way some claim.

Topical vitamin E as well as Biotin and making sure that you get enough of those in your diet, plus vitamin D, might help more.

[Drayse]

Oo, and topical vitamin A ie. retanoids.

[Jackie C.]

Honestly, you should dose with Vitamin D anyway. Pretty much all of us northern girls don't get enough sun for our bodies to produce enough naturally. Especially if you're like me and can burn by moonlight.

 

Hugs!

[Loren]

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It matters what type of collagen you take. There are a lot of fakes on the market. I have noticed a big difference in skin, hair, and nails even after a couple of months. I take a unique form of liquid collagen. It also is helping with joints and ligaments.

I did a lot of research and believe I found the best one on the market.

If anyone wants to know more about the specific one that I take you can private message me.

[Vidanjali]

This post caught my attention because I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) which is a genetic collagen defect. As @Loren indicated, there's collagen all throughout the body, and therefore, EDS affects the entire body. Collagen supplements don't help EDS because as @Drayse explained the supplements get broken down into stuff the body may then synthesize into other useful stuff. But, my body apparently does not make good, proper collagen, so collagen supplements are basically wasted on me. A weird kind of cosmetic "symptom" of EDS is velvety soft skin due to poor collagen resulting in hyperelasticity of the skin. Lol, I guess that could be considered one consolation of having to live with a chronic illness. I don't know if there's commonality among hair and nail conditions for people with EDS, but my hair breaks easily and my nails peel. I keep my hair and nails short partially to keep them from looking yucky, but mostly because I prefer how it looks on me. 

[Loren]

I agree about the collagen being broke down by the body, but I found a collagen that is already broken down and that the body can immediately use. Most collagen supplements are usually in a powder form, but the one I use is in liquid