Collagen plays a colossal part in your hair care routine for achieving the shiny lustrous locks. You must have come across collagen for hair while you browse through to find out more about healthy hair. Isn’t it? But you might not know everything about collagen benefits for hair. Collagen is naturally produced by your body until a time when it moderates its productivity level. Well, many supplements and collagen imbued shampoos and conditioners are available which are an equally good source of collagen for hair regrowth. Dreaming of stronger, healthier, lustrous, thicker, and shinier hair? Collagen for hair growth might be your seamless solution. Find out all that is unaware to you about collagen for hair.
What is Collagen
Collagen is your body’s most abundant protein which acts as the building block of your body. This protein named collagen holds a glue that helps to hold your body as well as give structure to your body. It is a fibrous, reassuring protein that helps in making up bones, tendons, and cartilages. It also aids in skin strength and elasticity along with giving structure to your hair, nails, skin, and ligaments. Collagen is created by your body by breaking down protein into amino acids from protein-rich foods. The primary constituent of your hair is a protein named keratin and many amino acids are used by your body to build this protein called keratin, and these amino acids are mostly found in collagen. But the rate of collagen production in your body significantly decreases with age, which in turn shows signs of aging like drooping skin, creases in your body, and hair fall. Here is when you need to know about collagen-rich food for hair growth along with some effective collagen supplements.
Benefits of Collagen for hair
Collagen for hair can be extremely beneficial. Here are some benefits of collagen for hair :
- Proline is an amino acid that is a major component of keratin, this protects your hair from getting damaged by keeping it away from the effects caused by free radicals like environmental aggressors, cigarettes, alcohol, and stress.
- Collagen for hair has some antioxidant properties that enhance the volume of the hair and strengthens your hair follicles.
- Collagen helps in hair build-up by providing amino acids.
- Not all collagen is best for your hair, collagen powder for hair like the hydrolyzed peptides collagen powder for hair can be extremely beneficial. This will form a structure to your hair as well as lock the moisture in the hair cells.
- The benefits of omega 3 and omega 6 in collagen acts as a great hydrating agent for your hair.
- The sebaceous glands present beneath the hair follicles secrets oil and helps to keep your hair moist, but with age, your hair tends to become dry. Collagen here has a huge role to play in the secretion of oils to keep your hair moist. That’s the reason why collagen is also responsible for lustrous locks.
- Collagen is responsible for holding your hair follicles and dermal layers together. Due to this, your hair remains healthy.
- The natural color of your hair tends to vanish as you grow older. This happens because the cells that provide melanin which is responsible for the natural black color of your hair start dying turning your hair grey. Greying of your hair may also be caused due to genetic reasons, stress, and many more. But the antioxidant properties present in collagen reduces hair greying. Many collagen shampoos and conditioners are available that ensure to protect your hair from greying.
Does Collagen damage affect your hair?
Collagen is a type of protein and is a vital part of the human body. Adequate collagen production means upright signs of good health. Collagen is the building block from which your body can create new proteins. While its production is plenty while you are young, it starts decreasing by a percent after you reach your 20s, and by the time you age around 40 or more, its deficiency becomes even more visible as the natural color of your hair starts diminishing. Moreover, you will notice dry, thin, and brittle hair. Besides, the benefits collagen has on your hair are huge starting from giving your hair a proper structure, providing moisture and elasticity to the hair follicles, making your hair voluminous and healthy to promoting its growth; collagen damage can have a huge impact on your hair. Collagen for hair is necessary and when it stops the natural process, collagen-rich foods and collagen supplements come into play.
Foods rich in collagen
There are various ways through which you can include collagen in your diet. Vitamin C for hair is a great option and it also has the quality of increasing collagen production. Apple cider vinegar for hair is also a good option. Here we have listed down some food items that are rich sources of collagen.
- Bone Broth
A very popular and common food item that is rich in collagen is bone broth. Bone broth can be consumed as a soup or a drink. It is traditionally made by the addition of animal bones in simmering water. It is believed that through this process the collagen gets extracted into the liquid from the bones and skins of the animals and is consumed by the addition of some flavoring spices. This is because the bones of the animals are rich in essential nutrients alongside calcium, collagen, magnesium, amino acids, phosphorus, glucosamine and if cooked purely can be a rich source of collagen for hair.
- Chicken
Have you ever cut or cooked a whole chicken? Not all might have done that, but have seen while a chicken is being cut. Isn’t it? There are a lot of connective tissues present in the meat. These connective tissues form a rich source of collagen.
- Fish along with Skin
Fish is a wonderful source of collagen as long as it has its skin. Though researches have shown that the head, scales, and eyeballs constitute the highest amount of collagen, the skin of the fish is a very good source of collagen peptides. Bones and ligaments of the fish also constitute collagens and it is also a great source of vitamin D and omega 3.
Other than these, vitamins for hair growth can play a huge role thus citrus fruits, tropical fruits, berries and green leafy vegetables rich in vitamin c should be included in your diet. Also, egg whites, garlic, beans, tomatoes, cashews, bell peppers are rich sources of collagen for hair.
Are collagen supplements effective?
Collagen is a vital protein and as it stops producing as you age, your body must always be boosting collagen, and for this to happen you need to add on the collagen supplements in your routine. The requirements for collagen for hair might be different hence the collagen supplements will also differ according to different individuals, and this depends on the hair needs of different people. To cater to the needs of the masses, collagen supplements are readily available in the market nowadays. Besides the availability of collagen supplements in the form of pills as well as powder, there are many products of oils, shampoos, and conditioners. Maximum collagen supplements are available in a broken-down state which makes it easier to absorb and equally effective. Generally, a collagen supplement is safe to intake but it is advised that you check the label with the FDA mark before purchasing. There wouldn’t be any alternative if you could do a bit of research and purchase from a reputable store.
Are there any side effects of too much collagen?
Anything supplementary is not natural and hence it is inevitable to have some side effects as well. But the first and foremost thing before intaking a collagen supplement is that you should know the proper quantity that can be absorbed by your body based on your height and weight. Some general side effects of excessive collagen include heartburn, stomach ache, and rashes. Other diseases caused due to excessive collagen include scleroderma which can affect your skin and internal organs as well.
So, it is always advisable to get sure before choosing any supplements of collagen for hair.
Getting tense? Don’t be worried, follow Traya’s natural ways of collagen production by including natural food items. Understand the cause of the reduction in the number of collagen supplements and include collagen supplements from verified sources to get back the lost collagen and make your hair look strong, healthy, and shiny.
