Myths and media in oral collagen supplementation for the skin, nails, and hair: A review

Abstract

Collagen is an integral building block in the extracellular matrix in the skin, hair, nails, joints, bones, tendons, and cartilage. As a key component of the structure of the hair, skin, and nails, there is strong consumer interest in the dermatologic efficacy of collagen supplementation. Oral supplementation with collagen peptides has exponentially increased in popularity in recent years, aided by social media and expert marketing; there are over 8.5 million posts on Instagram alone with the hashtag "collagen," not to mention videos and articles across the Internet and social media applications. The Internet is commonly used to search for information about collagen, with Google searches for oral collagen supplements rising rapidly since 2015. 1 Major retailers sell a multitude of oral collagen supplements, marketed for health and beauty. In a culture strongly focused on preventing or reversing the visible signs of aging, collagen companies' promises of reducing wrinkles, improving skin hydration, and creating a more youthful appearance engage the attention of many consumers.However, the question remains whether there is evidence to support companies' advertisements and consumers' goals. There are relatively few studies investigating the dermatologic effects of ingested collagen peptides, many of which are limited by sample size

Collagen supplementation - does it bring real benefits?

“…Suplementacja tego związku ma sprawić, że włosy będą szybciej rosły, będą gęstsze i zdrowsze, a paznokcie twarde i długie. Reklam obiecujących tak niesamowite efekty jest coraz więcej, jednak na ten moment nie ma badań potwierdzających jakikolwiek, pozytywny bądź negatywny, wpływ doustnej suplementacji kolagenu na włosy [50].…”

Aging and Anti-Aging Research and Publishing Priorities

“…Fortunately, there are many advanced online tools and platforms which can be employed to gauge the opinion of elderly subjects and specialists with an interest in aging and visualize perspective scientific directions. As a good example, Twitter and Instagram, the globally popular social-media platforms, can be searched to analyze trends in using hashtags related to aging and explore global online users' opinions on frequently employed anti-aging therapies [7,8]. Subjects undergoing anti-aging therapies can be conveniently targeted via online survey platforms to evaluate their experiences and expectations [9].…”