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Collagen Benefits For Hair Growth

9 Min Read

Medically Reviewed by

DR. MELISSA ANZELONE, N ND

If you’re considering different options to help your hair grow better, don’t overlook the benefits of collagen for hair growth. But what is collagen, and why is collagen good for hair growth?

What is collagen?

Collagen is a fibrous protein beneficial for our skin and hair growth. It’s actually the most abundant protein present in the body. The triple-helical structure of collagen arises from an unusual abundance of three amino acids: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. Collagen proteins contain 18 different amino acids, seven of which are essential for human life.

Collagen peptides play an integral part in renewing cells and are responsible for maintaining the strength and elasticity of our bones, joints, tendons, skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and hair. Our body’s ability to produce collagen decreases when we’re around the age of 30. This causes a continuous decline of the collagen levels in the body and results in wrinkles, causes our hair to lose its color and leads to rigidity and weakness of our bones, cartilage, and other body parts.

In order to combat declining or suboptimal collagen, one option is to take supplements with marine collagen to help support hair growth. These can play a major role in ensuring your hair and skin are as healthy and beautiful as possible, as collagen levels are restored when you take collagen supplements. Sufficient intake of Vitamin C is also vital for the body’s ability to produce collagen. Cabbage, red fruits and vegetables, and carrots are examples of things you can eat to boost collagen production.

What is pure marine collagen?

Generally, collagen peptides are harvested from animal sources such as cows or chicken. Pure marine collagen is derived from the sea — specifically from the scales of saltwater fish. It’s hydrolyzed and water-soluble, and it consists of proline, glycine, glutamic acid, and hydroxyproline.

Marine collagen helps in the regeneration of different cells of the body even better than normal collagen. The fact that it’s derived from the ocean makes it much more pure. It particularly has a big impact on the regeneration of dormant hair follicles, which helps to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. Marine collagen works as a rejuvenating source that replenishes our body’s natural supply by providing the essential nutrients required for rebuilding cells in our hair and elsewhere in the body.

Collagen for hair health: The way it works

Studies support that collagen for hair growth can help in several ways. Here are a few of the potential collagen benefits for hair:

  • Fights against damaging free radicals

Collagen has antioxidant properties and fights the production of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are caused by several different things. Sometimes environmental factors such as poor air quality can contribute, but other times they can be a result of stress, poor diet, alcohol, and smoking. Sometimes they’re simply produced as a result of the body’s different metabolic processes.

However they form, free radicals can damage hair follicles, which can lead to hair loss. Antioxidants work to fight against free radicals that harm hair and other parts of the body, and one particularly potent source of antioxidants is marine collagen derived from fish scales. Studies have shown that marine collagen can fight several different types of free radicals and that its antioxidant properties may be greater than that of tea. Having a sufficient amount of collagen for your hair and body can help to fight against free radicals, strengthen hair follicles and improve hair growth.

  • Supplies amino acids

As previously mentioned, collagen comprises several amino acids. Some of these amino acids are also used by the body to create keratin, the protein that forms hair.

Marine collagen is rich in proline, a primary building block for keratin and hair, and adding it to your diet can help your body have an ample supply for growing hair. When you eat collagen, along with other proteins, they are broken down within your body to become amino acids that your body can then use to build proteins wherever they are needed — including your hair follicles.

  • Improves scalp health

Collagen is good for adding both strength and elasticity to our skin, which is why it’s often used in topical skin care products to fight against wrinkles. The roots of our hair follicles sit within the dermis layer of our skin, which is largely made up of collagen. In fact, about 70% of the dermis is collagen.

Over time as we age, our bodies produce less collagen to help maintain cells in the dermis, and that can mean the dermis isn’t as effective at growing and maintaining hair. Adding more marine collagen for hair loss prevention to our diet may help fight against this. Studies have shown that taking collagen supplements can improve skin elasticity and reduce signs of aging skin.

Marine collagen supplements

Marine collagen supplements to grow healthy hair are available for oral intake in both liquid form, as well as solid tablets and powder capsules. There are also supplements for nourishing healthy hair that contain collagen combined with other natural ingredients like Nutrafol. 

If you decide to use supplements of collagen for hair growth, a medical practitioner can advise you on how to take these supplements based on your collagen deficiency and overall health. Make sure that whichever supplement you choose to support hair health also contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin C in order to maximize the benefits of collagen therapy in hair regeneration.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.