Can Collagen Supplements
Help Aging Skin?

When it comes to the treatment of aging skin, most women turn to creams and lotions to assist with stopping the ravages of time. Although certain creams, particularly those containing retinoic acids, are an effective anti-aging skin treatment; more emphasis is being place on what goes into the body in terms of wrinkle prevention and treatment. According to a new study, taking a collagen supplement may one day be a viable treatment for aging, dry skin.

Two studies presented at a conference in Geneva, Switzerland showed that giving a daily supplement of hydrolyzed collagen improved both skin texture and appearance in forty-seven European women. The women were given a collagen supplement for a period of three months at which time the condition of their skin was re-assessed. It was found that the women given the hydrolyzed collagen treatment for aging, dry skin experienced a 28 percent improvement in skin hydration levels as well as a 30 percent improvement in fine lines and wrinkling. A Japanese study using a collagen supplement showed similar results.

While use of collagen supplements for aging, dry skin has been promoted by various cosmetic companies in the past, most of the products have been in the form of a topical cream which is unlikely to be effective due to the inability of the collagen molecule to penetrate through the outer layer of the skin. Collagen is one of the most important elements needed for maintaining the skin’s support structure and loss of collagen from excess sun exposure and the natural aging process is thought to account for dry, aging skin seen in older people.

While many online websites have responded to this potential treatment for aging, dry skin by selling oral collagen supplements, in the form of liquids and powders, results of these studies are only preliminary and its unclear whether using a collagen supplement on a longer term basis is safe. Larger studies will be needed to determine the role oral collagen may play for aging skin treatment.

Although it may be too early to take a collagen supplement for aging, dry skin treatment, this Geneva study illustrates the importance that diet could play in the treatment of skin aging. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, may help to reduce inflammation as well as the breakdown of collagen and elastin which plays such an important role in skin aging.

Eventually it may turn out that what you put into your body is more important than expensive creams and lotions when it comes to aging skin treatment.