Since skin is essential as it protects our body, it is necessary to keep it healthy. People do different things to keep their skin healthy and prevent it from aging, including taking collagen supplements.

Many include collagen supplements in their daily routine to help them keep their skin healthy. They also help improve other areas in the body, such as hair, muscles, and joints.

Collagen supplement manufacturers claim that these supplements can make your skin look fresh and dewy, strengthen your nails and bones, and improve overall health. Many people wonder how long it takes to see the results of taking collagen.

This article will help you understand more about collagen and when you can expect the results.

 

What is collagen

 

Collagen is a protein that makes joints and skin healthy. It is found everywhere: in the muscles, bones, gut, tendons, skin, and internal organs.

Supplements contain amino acids and other nutrients related to healthy hair and skin, like vitamin C. Some collagen products also contain polysorbate 80, which is an emulsifying agent.

As you age, the existing collagen in your body breaks down faster, and your body makes less collagen. After the age of 20, people begin to produce one percent less collagen in their skin every year. As a result, several people use collagen supplements, such as powder, capsules, liquids, and gummies.

 

What does collagen supplement do

 

Although our body produces collagen, it has become a top-selling supplement that allegedly can improve skin, hair, and nails. Experts and users believe that there are many reasons why it is good to take a collagen supplement. These reasons include the following:

 

Boost skin elasticity

 

Collagen is one of the primary ingredients to make your skin firm and tight. Collagen supplements help with skin wrinkling. They support skin elasticity, moisture, and hydration, making you look younger.

 

Better joint health

 

Joint pain can block you from achieving your health goal, as exercising can be challenging if you feel pain in your joints. Taking collagen supplements can help you get back on track.

According to a study, collagen helps connective tissues and improves joint pain. This allows you to do your exercise without worrying about your joints.

Additionally, taking collagen supplements along with calcium and vitamin D can significantly reduce the blood levels of proteins. This helps strengthen your bones and prevent bone loss.

 

Increased muscle mass

 

Collagen is a vital part of skeletal muscle. Taking collagen supplements can help increase muscle mass in people that suffer from muscle mass loss due to aging.

Experts have reported that collagen supplements promote muscle protein synthesis and stimulate muscle growth after exercise.

However, whey protein is more effective than collagen supplements in building muscle as it is a richer source of amino acids.

 

Promote gut health

 

Researchers found that people with irritable bowel disease (IBD) have lower collagen levels. Taking collagen supplements can improve your gut health and help treat inflammation.

 

Hair growth

 

As we age, many men go bald, and many women suffer from hair loss. Collagen supplements help increase your body’s proteins, leading to longer and thicker hair.

Also, collagen reduces the appearance of gray hair as it supports the healthy structure of the hair follicle. Applying collagen gels or cream to the scalp can make gray hair look darker and less dry.

 

Enhanced cardiovascular health

 

Collagen supplements can help lower the risk of heart conditions. Collagen makes arteries flexible and elastic. This allows the blood vessel to carry blood from your heart to your entire body smoothly.

Lack of collagen may result in narrowing of your arteries and may lead to atherosclerosis. This condition may result in a stroke or heart attack.

 

When to expect results of taking collagen supplements

 

The results of taking collagen supplements don’t happen overnight. Some of its benefits take time for you to see the result.

Here’s the suggested time frame for the results of supplement collagen to work for every part of your body:

• Skin – you will experience enhanced skin density, elasticity, and hydration within 4 to 12 weeks of taking collagen supplements. You may also feel a smoother skin texture.
• Joints and tendons – the effect of collagen supplements on your joints and tendons may take 12 weeks to 6 months. When you combine strengthening exercise and collagen supplementation, you will experience enhanced tendon function and performance within three months.
• Muscles – for a common level of muscle pain after arduous training or exercise, the benefits of collagen supplements on your muscles can be seen within two days. However, it will take around three months for enhanced muscle mass from collagen protein to work when combined with resistance training.
• Bones – in a study, postmenopausal women displayed improved bone density after taking collagen peptides every day for a year.
• Hair and nails – there is no direct time frame in which you can see the results of collagen supplements on your hair, as there need to be more studies to confirm. For nails, you can see the results at 24 weeks.

 

Enjoy the Effects of Collagen Supplements

 

Taking collagen supplements provides many benefits to your body, like improving your skin, hair, and nails, preventing bone loss, and boosting cardiovascular health. You will know if your collagen supplement is working if you notice changes in your body, such as thicker hair, less joint pains, hydrated skin, and more.

However, the results of taking collagen supplements take time to be apparent. Also, before taking these supplements, it would be best to consult your doctor first to ensure what kind of collagen supplement is ideal for you.