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Getty Images<\/p>\nRuth CleggHealth and wellbeing reporter<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
When it comes to collagen – how do you take yours?<\/p>\n
There are parties where people even drink shots of the anti-ageing supplement, often followed by a hefty tequila – though the latter is probably not recommended in the quest for youthful, peachy skin.<\/p>\n
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and forms the scaffolding that helps maintain the structural integrity of our skin and musculoskeletal system.<\/p>\n
In short, collagen helps to keep our skin plump, our joints and bones strong, and our hair and nails healthy.<\/p>\n
It’s become so treasured that some dermatologists recommend “banking” it – investing in our collagen supply early so we have surplus when the inevitable happens.<\/p>\n
Yes. The inevitable. Ageing. Sigh.<\/p>\n
Our collagen supply naturally starts to decrease, on average around 1% a year, as we reach our mid to late 20s<\/a>.<\/p>\n The speed of its decline depends on factors like our exposure to the sun, diet, and stress levels.<\/p>\n But is there credible science to say supplements can replenish our dwindling supply? And if so, what’s the best way of getting it into our bodies?<\/p>\n As a sleep deprived mother, Kimberlie says collagen makes a difference to her skin<\/p>\n Kimberlie Smith started taking collagen about six months ago. The 33-year-old began using it after a “traumatic year” in 2024. Her son was born prematurely, and as a result of stress, the mother-of-three says her skin took a “huge hit”.<\/p>\n She uses marine collagen, the type derived from fish, in a tropical-flavoured gel she drinks every day.<\/p>\n “My skin definitely seems to be brighter and clearer, plus my hair has never looked better since I started taking it,” Kimberlie says. “As a sleep deprived mother, it’s definitely made a difference.”<\/p>\n Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist based on London’s Harley Street, says while there is some research to suggest taking collagen orally has an impact<\/a>, she remains sceptical.<\/p>\n She says the idea that collagen can make its journey through our body – not the easiest of quests – and land exactly where we need it to be is probably wishful thinking.<\/p>\n For a start, it has to get through the gut without being completely broken down. Collagen is a large molecule so companies have now started to break it up into smaller pieces – collagen peptides – otherwise known as hydrolysed collagen.<\/p>\n Even though this collagen – now in its smaller form – has a better chance of making its way through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, it still has a long way to go.<\/p>\n It has to reach the skin to have an impact, and it could just as easily slip off to support other organs in the body. It’s a valuable resource.<\/p>\n “There is little reliable evidence on this, but there is a theory that because our skin is the organ with the ‘fastest turnover’ of cells, it might be more likely to use these collagen peptides above other organs.”<\/p>\n And that’s when you might get an increase in collagen being made in the skin cells.<\/p>\n ‘You can’t risk stopping’<\/p>\n That all seems very complicated – and uncertain. It may leave you asking: what about using collagen creams? They’re going directly onto the skin, so won’t they stand more chance of getting where they need to be?<\/p>\n “No,” is Ms Wedgworth’s simple answer. “The collagen will just sit on the outer layer of your skin, it won’t reach the dermis – which is the middle layer.”<\/p>\n There are three different types of collagen supplements: marine (from fish), bovine (from cows), and vegan. Of the three, the dermatologist recommends marine if you are taking collagen orally. <\/p>\n This is because it contains more type 1 collagen – the most common of the five types and the one that gives structure to our skin cells, as well as playing a crucial role in the health of our bones, tendons and connective tissues.<\/p>\n Vegan collagen is the least effective, says Ms Wedgeworth. Collagen is an animal-derived protein, so these products are not actually made of collagen, and instead contain a range of amino acids and vitamins.<\/p>\n Ali Watson, a keen weightlifter, originally started to use collagen supplements to help protect her joints<\/p>\n “I’m trapped,” Ali Watson tells me as she points to packs of bovine collagen powder in her kitchen. “Yes, this one is for me and well, this one is for Tommy.”<\/p>\n I look at the slender brown hound next me, grey whiskers poking out round his nose. He lifts an eyebrow in acknowledgement.<\/p>\n Ali, a neuroanaesthetist who, by her own admission, “knows a lot about dosing”, feels like now she’s started taking collagen, she can’t stop – and nor can she stop giving it to her dog.<\/p>\n “I started taking it as a powder a couple of years ago. At first, it wasn’t about my appearance, it was about my joints, I wanted to protect them because I do a lot of weight-lifting.”<\/p>\n Ali’s not sure that she’s noticed any difference with her joints, but she has noticed a change elsewhere.<\/p>\n “My skin feels like it glows more, my hair feels thicker and my nails feel stronger.”<\/p>\n I glance down at Tommy, who seems more interested in his dog bowl than any powdered supplements.<\/p>\n “I know, it seems mad,” Ali says, “but Tommy seemed a bit slower, a bit less enthusiastic just before summer, so I thought I would try him on dog collagen.<\/p>\n “I wanted to see if it could help with his joints – he’s getting old now. And he is a bit brighter, but that might just be because the weather’s got colder again and he’s less hot and lethargic.”<\/p>\n Ali’s not completely convinced the supplement is making a difference, and it’s costing her \u00a360 a month to ensure she and Tommy get their daily dose.<\/p>\n Tommy started on collagen a few months ago to help his joints<\/p>\n But she says she now can’t stop dosing them both up. “That’s the thing with these supplements,” the 46-year-old says, “life does have its ups and downs. You might take them when you’re on a down, then things pick up again – and it might have very little to do with the supplements.<\/p>\n “But by that stage, you can’t risk stopping.”<\/p>\n Professor Faisal Ali, a consultant dermatologist at Mid Cheshire NHS Trust, says one of the issues consumers and clinicians face is the amount of conflicting information and conflicting interests in supplement research.<\/p>\n![\"Kimberlie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/25ef5bf0-9ae4-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp.webp\")
Kimberlie Smith<\/p>\n![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0e8c2f80-9ae2-11f0-b741-177e3e2c2fc7.jpg.webp.webp\")
Matthew Montgomery<\/p>\n![\"Tommy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3d4083d0-9ae2-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp.webp\")
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Getty Images<\/p>\n