Many people are willing to spend large sums of money in the pursuit of smoother, youthful skin.
If you search online for ways to achieve this, you’ll likely come across the claim: “Collagen can reduce wrinkles.”
Collagen supplements are heavily advertised, often by well-known public figures. But are these supplements really worth the money? Can they really make our wrinkles less noticeable?
The short answer is maybe. We don't fully share the industry's optimistic view of the scientific studies, but we'll explain why in a moment.
Last summer, Anton Pottegård, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark, invited people to send in health claims they've seen on social media regarding medicines, supplements, and alternatives to medications.
Pottegård then fact-checked these claims. Before diving into the specifics of collagen, let’s first understand why people use it.
According to Videnskab's own research 30% of people take collagen to reduce existing wrinkles, with the expectation that it only works as long as they continue taking it.
10% take it to reduce existing wrinkles permanently. The largest group, 60%, use it primarily to prevent future wrinkles.
Some people use collagen for stronger hair and nails, while others take it for joint issues. We can’t fact-check everything, so we’ll focus on wrinkles.
Now, let’s examine what collagen actually is. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and a key component of our skin.
As we age, the amount and quality of collagen in our skin decreases, which contributes to fine lines and wrinkles.
The idea behind collagen supplements is that by adding more collagen to the body, you might reduce wrinkles.
A study from 2014 suggested that collagen powder reduced wrinkle depth by 18% over 8 weeks compared to a placebo. This sounds impressive, but we need to dig deeper.
The study compared collagen powder to a placebo in 114 women aged 45-65. At the end of the 8 weeks, the collagen group had reduced wrinkle depth by 18%, while the placebo group saw a 15% increase in wrinkle depth.
But here’s the problem: a 15% increase in wrinkle depth seems too high, especially considering that wrinkles don’t develop that quickly in real life.
This raises doubts about the study's accuracy.
A more reliable overview study from 2021 reviewed 6 studies with a total of 410 participants.
While some studies showed that collagen supplements reduced wrinkles, others found no effect.
The research suggests that the benefit might be due to collagen’s ability to increase skin moisture rather than change the collagen structure in our skin.
It’s important to note that most of these studies were funded by companies that produce collagen supplements, which could influence the results.
In conclusion, while there is some evidence that collagen supplements may improve skin moisture, leading to a temporary smoothing effect, the long-term effects and ability to prevent wrinkles are still uncertain.
There’s no harm in trying collagen if you’re willing to spend the money, but it’s unlikely to prevent future wrinkles as many people hope.
