First issues first: Collagen doesn’t make up hair.
Collagen is a protein discovered within the pores and skin, intestine, joints, and all through the physique to supply construction and energy. Hair, alternatively, is predominantly made up of one other protein, keratin. (Keratin can also be present in your dermis and nails.) Keratin is a protecting protein that acts as a barrier. All proteins are made up of amino acids, typically referred to as “the constructing blocks” of proteins.
So why is collagen typically marketed towards hair well being? Nicely dietary supplements like collagen powder aren’t really the complete collagen molecule (which might be too giant to digest), however relatively damaged down and hydrolyzed collagen. On this kind, it’s really absorbable amino acids!
Basically: The amino acids in collagen dietary supplements can be utilized by the physique to provide different proteins, comparable to keratin.
Licensed trichologist and founding father of Superior Trichology William Gaunitz, FWTS, advised mbg that the first amino acid that’s most useful known as proline1. Many collagen dietary supplements are clear concerning the amino acid profile inside their method, so you’ll be able to even discover choices that include this amino acid and are seemingly higher fitted to hair well being.
Nevertheless it’s not simply concerning the hair fiber itself, collagen can really help the hair follicle and surrounding space. Rachel Maiman, M.D., board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical, notes that analysis has proven that collagen ranges in surrounding the hair follicle and bulb improve throughout hair progress phase2 (in any other case referred to as the anagen part).* Then once they go into the upkeep and shedding part, the collagen disappears.
So if the physique can create extra collagen, it might be able to help hair within the progress part for longer. “As our our bodies create extra collagen, the layers regenerate. This helps our hair follicles by helping them in re-entering the anagen part and sustaining the hair progress cycle,” says Maiman.*
Certainly, we regularly discuss how one can’t have wholesome hair with no wholesome scalp. “Collagen helps the scalp’s thickness,”* Maiman says. “A skinny scalp with inadequate collagen is much less strong and fewer able to holding the hair follicle bulbs in place.”