skin health

Should you take oral collagen? Is it beneficial? Is plant collagen better than other collagen? What all collagen are available? Oral collagen, the most frequently taken supplement, can be taken by anyone after 25 years of age, as it improves hydration, builds quality of skin , enhances skin firmness, strengthens cartilage, bone health, hair and nails . if taken at a younger age it helps in maintaining strength and quality of skin, if taken at a mature age it exhibits anti-ageing benefits. Its not that you take collagen supplements and it forms collagen in the skin. Collagen peptides we take on daily basis first gets accumulated and thereby helps body to maintain collagen stores, which can then form different variants of collagen in the body. Since these are supplements, there is no specific time to take these but it’s a good routine to consume them in the evening. These supplements are well accepted without much interactions but some one who has allergies to sea food, should ideally avoid marine collagen. Also remember that other form of collagen available is bovine collagen, if you are someone who is not comfortable with bovine product kindly check the label to ensure its marine collagen. While intricate signs of improvement might take 2-3 months, but immediate effects like hydration, antioxidant properties, skin protection, general well being can be noticed as early as 15 days. There are varied doses of collagen that work best for skin, it usually ranges from 2.5gr to 10 gr. Marine collagen is mostly preferred in most countries and all skin types as it’s the most closest form to human collagen. Collagen significantly effects the quality of skin in all of these oily, combination, dry and sensitive skin types. In dry skin types the added advantage is its hydration properties. Being consistent with work out routine, having plenty of water like 4-5 litres everyday can enhance the action of collagen. Reducing the burden of oxidants on the body like smoking, alcohol, bad sleep timings will help in achieving skin goals faster Randomised controlled trial studies and meta analysis have been done on collagen supplements, which have showed significant improvement in skin texture, quality, firmness, overall skin health in most cases in less than 8 weeks. It’s a personal choice when it comes to choosing marine or bovine collagen, but plant collagen has very limited studies and less proven benefits. Marine collagen has slightly unpleasant fragrance which can be avoided by addition of artificial flavours like lemon , berry which most companies do. Have further questions about general skin care and collagen usage? We are one call away! Call us on 6309801421 to know more about collagen and skin, its benefits and how to combine your supplements and other in clinic treatments to get the most of it. We have Dr Deepthi Atmakuri to help you understand everything about skin, its ageing and how you can stay young !