The explorer Ponce de Leon famously went to Florida in search of the fountain of youth. But if you listen to social media influencers, he should probably have headed to the supplement aisle to pick up some collagen.
"I'm in my 40s and if I shave, I look like I'm in my mid-20s," a Tiktok creator who goes by Shop By Jake claims in one paid promotion. "People ask me all the time, what do you do for your skin? I take collagen," he says.
Claims about the health and beauty benefits of collagen supplements are commonplace these days, especially online. But does the evidence back the hype?
The claim
Collagen supplements can promote healthier skin, hair and nails, and stronger joints.
The theory
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It's found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bones. It helps maintain our skin's elasticity and volume. It's a structural protein, so it gives strength and integrity to our tissues and keeps joints strong, among other things. But starting in our 20s, the amount and quality of the collagen our bodies produce declines.
Factors like UV radiation, smoking and exposure to environmental pollutants can speed up that decline. But it's going to happen with age regardless, which is why lots of people turn to collagen supplements.
Collagen supplements generally come in two main forms. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides are basically collagen that's been broken down into smaller chains of amino acids to make them easier to absorb. They're derived from animal sources, such as fish, cattle, pigs or chicken. That's typically what's used in supplements aimed at improving skin and hair, as well as joint health.
"The theory is that if you ingest [a collagen supplement,] it goes through the GI tract and gets absorbed and then it theoretically goes to places to support or increase collagen production," says Dr. Lauren Taglia, a board-certified dermatologist with Northwestern Medicine in Naperville, Ill.
The second main form of supplement is undenatured, or native, type II collagen, which hasn't been broken down. It's derived from chickens. Most of the collagen found in cartilage is type II. These kinds of supplements are thought to promote joint health by triggering the immune system to produce chemical messengers that tamp down inflammation.
So what does the research say?
The evidence
Let's start with skin.
When it comes to skin health, there are studies that suggest collagen supplements work.
"There have been randomized controlled trials that have shown that after 8 to 12 weeks of collagen supplementation, things like depth of wrinkles, skin elasticity, dermal thickness seem to be improved," says Dr. Maryanne Makredes Senna, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
One meta-analysis of 19 studies published in 2021 found that, compared with a placebo, people taking collagen supplements had better skin hydration, elasticity and improvements in wrinkles.
A second meta-analysis was published this year. It looked at 23 randomized controlled trials with more than 1,400 patients who took collagen supplements for skin issues, and it also found significant improvements in those same areas after 90 days.
But Senna says those findings came with a big caveat: The studies that found the biggest improvements were lower-quality and were funded by the supplement industry, she says.
"High-quality studies and studies not funded by industry did not show a significant association rate," Senna says.
Given that, the state of the evidence when it comes to collagen supplements for skin is mixed at best, says dermatologist Lauren Taglia. "As physician-scientists, we would love to see studies done on a large scale and done independently," she says.
It's a similar story when it comes to collagen supplements for joint health. Studies have shown benefits — such as in reducing pain from osteoarthritis.
But again, much of the research is industry funded, so it can be hard to disentangle potential bias, says Dr. David Felson, an osteoarthritis researcher and professor at Boston University.
One systematic review found that most of the studies of collagen supplements for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis were too low quality to determine whether they really helped. Some studies included in that review reported adverse effects, such as an exacerbation of symptoms.
"With respect to collagen, I don't know what the right answer is," Felson says. It could potentially help, but "there are no large scale studies here and there need to be," he says.
The bottom line
If it's healthier skin you're after, collagen supplements "could be helpful, but there's not a ton of strong evidence to support them at this point," Taglia says.
Your best bet is to focus on things that do have robust evidence behind them, says Dr. Maya Jonas, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Ohio State University. That includes wearing sunscreen and other sun protection and using vitamin A-based products like retinol, which have been clinically proven to stimulate collagen production. Keeping your skin moisturized is also important.
Lifestyle factors matter too, Jonas says. She recommends a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants like vitamin C, and nuts and seeds, which are good sources of zinc and copper and help support collagen production.
"We always talk about diet, making sure patients are eating a healthy Mediterranean diet that's well-balanced, avoiding alcohol, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke," Jonas says.
And get plenty of sleep and exercise, adds Senna. Poor sleep and stress can take a toll on skin, while exercise can improve blood flow to the skin and may help counteract the loss of elasticity and dermal thickness that comes with aging.
That's not just good for skin, but overall health, too.
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