“A question about vitamin supplements?”
I have collagen I II III V and X gummies and I was wondering if 10 mg of each collagen (total amount 50 mg) is enough to provide results for hair and skin?
Male | 17 years old
2 Answers
Unfortunately, studies on collagen for skin are fairly mixed. Some say it can do something, and others that it’s a waste of time and money. Almost all studies that support use come from people funded by a company trying to sell it. As collagen 1 and 3 are the main skin collagens, I would stick to those. Mostly 1. I think if you are going to take collagen, you don’t need to do more than 10mg. For nails, I honestly think taking collagen is kind of silly. Nails are made of keratin, not collagen. Sure, amino acids are used to make both collagen and keratin as both are proteins. Anyways, we are early in the understanding of what collagen supplements can do - or not do. Better to use sunblock daily, not smoke, and try to not use harsh products or techniques on your hair. If you are going to take collagen, give it a 6-month trial and see if you like it. If it doesn’t really help, then just stop.
I am not keen on collagen supplements. I doubt whether they will help your skin, but if they do, please let me know.
Stephen Schleicher, MD
Stephen Schleicher, MD
