Does Collagen Thicken Hair?
We are going to talk about hair care! Hair care can be one of the most complex (and fun) parts of your appearance. One essential piece is how important it is to keep your hair healthy to keep it looking its best. We all want beautiful, healthy hair that keeps people guessing our hair care secrets.
Having thick hair is something many people want. It can be difficult to transform thin hair into thick hair, but all you need is the right products. With a little patience and consistency, your hair may just thicken up with the help of collagen.
Collagen, or collagen peptides, is a popular supplement that many people make a part of their everyday healthcare routines.
Collagen is often recognized as a potent solution for thickening hair. It may reduce hair loss and boost hair health while also improving nail and skin health.
Collagen's ability to boost skin elasticity also applies to your scalp. The dermal layer where your hair follicles are situated can experience damage, leading to age-related thinning and hair loss.
Your body produces collagen by itself, but sometimes you might not be getting a sufficient amount.
Thankfully, eating a diet full of collagen-rich foods and taking supplements can be effective at fortifying your scalp, improving follicle health, and boosting hair thickness.
Some foods that contain dietary collagen are bone broth, soy, beans, and dark green vegetables. These foods are easy to access and add to your diet.
Some people also take collagen supplements or use collagen powder in smoothies if they can’t get enough collagen from their diet. Today it’s easier than ever.
While adding collagen to your diet is a great way to strengthen your hair, it’s also important to make sure you get plenty of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential ingredient in your body’s natural collagen production processes, which means it can help promote your natural collagen supply.
Collagen’s Role in Supporting Follicle Function
Collagen plays a significant role in maintaining follicle function, even though only a tiny amount of collagen is located in the outer layers of your hair shaft. Yet, you can find it in the dermal tissue surrounding your follicles.
Several studies have shown that during the hair's growth (anagen) phase, the collagen amount surrounding the hair bulb thickens and increases. When the hair follicle passes into the catagen stage, it sheds two layers of collagen encompassing it.
As our bodies create more collagen, the layers regenerate. This supports our hair follicles re-entering the anagen phase, maintaining the ongoing hair growth cycle.
You need your hair follicles to be healthy to promote thicker hair growth and discourage hair breakage.
How Does Collagen Thicken Hair?
Collagen helps thicken hair by fighting follicle damage, preventing age-related thinning, and providing the building blocks that make up hair.
Collagen Can Help Fight Hair Follicle Damage
Healthy hair follicles are undoubtedly the key to minimal hair loss and thicker hair strands of hair. Having healthy hair follicles is essential to having healthy hair growth. It is crazy to think something as small as a hair follicle can make a difference to our whole head of hair.
Though, as we go through life, our follicles come under attack from an accumulation of free radicals produced by poor eating, chronic stress, UV exposure, smoking, and aging. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules, and too many of them can damage the DNA, lipids, and proteins that make up cells in our bodies.
Indirect evidence has suggested that free radicals may also harm our hair follicles, the pocket-like organs where our hairs are formed.
A 2016 Tokyo Medical University study discovered a relationship between hair loss and free radicals. Researchers found that an increased presence of free radicals on the scalp led to increased hair loss and thinning.
Collagen can fight damage caused by free radicals by acting as an antioxidant. Studies have shown that marine collagen, in particular, can fight free radicals and stop future scalp and hair damage.
Collagen May Prevent Age-Related Hair Thinning
Aging comes with many changes to our hair and bodies. Just another chapter in our lives. It is nothing that we can’t handle, but there is no shame in being prepared for it!
The middle layer of skin called the dermis contains each of your hairs' roots and is made up of 70% collagen. In particular, collagen contributes to the strength and elasticity of your dermis.
As we age, our bodies experience decreased collagen production and become less proficient at replenishing our dermal cells. This weakens our skin and shrinks our follicles. Along with menopause, this may be the reason our hair grows thinner over time.
Because of this, making sure you provide your body with plenty of collagen may help you nurture a healthy dermis and fend off hair thinning.
Studies have shown that collagen supplements improve skin elasticity, boost collagen levels in the skin, and decrease skin-aging signs.
Since hair develops in the skin, taking collagen supplements to prevent dermal aging may contribute to decreased thinning and healthier hair.
Collagen Supplies Amino Acids That Can Be Used to Create Hair
Collagen makes up 30% of the protein in our bodies and is a synthesis of amino acids, specifically proline, hydroxyproline, and glycine. Proline is also the most vital amino acid for producing keratin.
Some researchers hypothesize that consuming proline-rich collagen in foods and supplements can assist your body in creating keratin. Your body can then use these building blocks to promote thicker, healthier hair.
Collagen Supplements Are Made Easy to Absorb
It’s important to note that when you consume collagen orally, your body breaks it down into amino acids and then releases them into the bloodstream. Only then can it create collagen. That’s why in addition to taking collagen supplements, consuming a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is vital to helping collagen molecules form.
Many collagen supplements are hydrolyzed, which means they are broken down in advance (into peptides of two or three amino acids), making them easier for your body to absorb.
Marine collagen, in particular, is abundant in antioxidants, and its easily digestible compounds can combat free radicals and help stop future hair damage.
How Do I Choose the Best Collagen Supplement?
The best part about choosing a collagen supplement is that once you find the one you want, it is easy to make it a part of your everyday routine.
When choosing a collagen supplement, be sure to select a quality product for your needs. Everyone’s bodies differ in what is best for them. Of the body’s 16 collagen varieties, types I and III are the most plentiful, and both are crucial for creating vibrant hair and skin.
Better Not Younger’s tropical-flavored Power Within Skin & Scalp Collagen Gummies are packed with 96 milligrams of types I and III marine collagen. They are sourced from pollack, cod, and haddock scales.
To help your body create thicker hair from the inside, take two gummies daily, or as recommended by your healthcare professional. For more hair thickening solutions, visit our Shop page.
What Are the Other Benefits of Collagen?
There are more benefits to using collagen than you may think. Collagen can assist our bodies and hair in multiple ways.
Collagen is not only known for assisting your hair with becoming thicker but it is also said to help with hair regrowth. Your body uses amino acids to build keratin that makes up your hair. Luckily, collagen is a rich source of these amino acids, which can help your body promote new hair growth.
It also assists your nails with growth and strength. So, if you are suffering from nails that break often and you barely see any growth, collagen can be a good product for you.
Collagen also adds hydration to your skin. As discussed earlier, the healthier skin you have, the healthier hair you will have!
Collagen also helps strengthen your ligaments and connective tissue and has many other uses throughout your body as well.
Conclusion
If you want to thicken up your hair, collagen protein is a great addition to your everyday diet. Whether you are trying to thicken up the hair on your head or your face, collagen can assist in getting this done.
Even if you are not looking to thicken your hair, collagen can still be a great addition to your diet as it has many different benefits.
Don’t give up hope if you don’t see results overnight. Patience is a virtue, and consistency is key; soon, you may notice differences in your hair that can lead to more confidence.
Remember, we at Better Not Younger are here to help with all your hair wants and needs, at any age and stage. Take our hair quiz if you're not sure where to start and which products you need for your hair concerns.
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