Collagen and Hair Health
Collagen has been a highly discussed supplement within the health and wellness sphere. Collagen is an essential protein which makes up a substantial part of our bones, muscle, skin, and connective tissues; and collagen supplements are regarded as wonder proteins capable of naturally addressing a wide range of common health concerns, including joint discomfort, reducing inflammation, and supporting digestive wellbeing.
But what about its impact on hair health? Can collagen supplementation help reduce hair breakage and improve overall scalp condition?
The short answer is that while there is some growing evidence to suggest that collagen may support hair health, we still need more research in this area to make definitive claims. Anecdotally, many people report reduced hair breakage and improved scalp condition after using collagen supplements.
Let's take a closer look at what we do know.
Hair Health and Protein Metabolism
First, it's important to understand that hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Keratin is produced through the process of protein metabolism, where the body breaks down dietary protein into individual amino acids that can then be used to build new proteins and compounds within the body, including keratin. This means that consuming protein-rich foods and supplements can provide your body with the building blocks it needs to create healthy, strong hair.
Collagen and Hair Health
Collagen is a protein that is uniquely rich in the amino acids proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline. Proline is a major component of keratin, so it stands to reason that consuming proline-rich foods and supplements may provide your body with the building blocks it needs to create healthy, strong hair.
Collagen is also considered to have antioxidant properties that can fight free radical activity in the body. Free radicals are substances that form within the body due to various factors such as stress, air pollution, smoking, unhealthy eating habits, alcohol consumption, and other environmental factors. When present in excessive amounts, free radicals can inflict damage on your cells, proteins, and DNA. Free radicals can damage hair follicles, and this damage can be further exacerbated by the aging process. By providing antioxidant support, collagen supplementation may help protect hair follicles from free radical damage.
Collagen and the Dermis Layer
Collagen also plays a critical role in the health of our skin's dermis layer. In fact, collagen makes up approximately 70% of the skin's dermis layer. The dermis layer is the deeper layer of the skin that lies beneath the outermost layer or epidermis. It is responsible for providing support and elasticity to the skin, making it appear firm and youthful. As we age, the body's natural production of collagen starts to decline, which can lead to visible signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.
By consuming collagen-rich foods or taking collagen supplements, the body can synthesize the amino acids needed to form new collagen supporting the dermis layer to become stronger and improve elasticity. Hair follicle roots lie within the dermis of our skin, so it stands to reason that a healthy, collagen-rich dermis layer may support hair health.
Natural Beauty from Within
In our beauty collagen range, we offer a range of ingestible collagen powders: a pure unblended Collagen Hydrolysate, Flavoured Collagens, a pure Marine Collagen powder and a marine collagen beauty formula called Simply Beautiful.
Nutraviva Collagen Hydrolysate powder contains a unique profile of amino acids, including eight of the nine essential amino acids. Glycine, hydroxyproline, proline and arginine account for over half of the amino acid content of collagen hydrolysate. It is this uniquely high concentration, not found in any other plant based material, that assists with the health benefits associated with collagen supplementation including beauty nutrition. We also stock a range of Flavoured Collagen powders with 100% RDI of vitamin C to support collagen synthesis in the body.
Our Marine Collagen is a pure, unblended, and unflavoured product containing 100% naturally organic wild caught marine collagen peptides. It is also an MSC sustainable sourced marine collagen powder.
Simply Beautiful includes one serving of Nutraviva marine collagen peptides (5g), along with a suite of vitamins and minerals associated with supporting beauty needs, including vitamins C, E, and A, silica, zinc, and hyaluronic acid.
Find out more about our highly bioavailable beauty collagen products here.