Shop Collagen
Get clinically proven results for your hair, skin, nails, joints and gut with collagen. Packed with powerful ingredients and offered in versatile powders, capsules or gummies.
Shop Organic SuperGreens
From clean energy and detox and digestion support to gut health and whole-body balance – our Organic SuperGreens products give you the benefits of juicing without the hassle.
Shop Protein
Discover superfood protein powders with easy-to-digest ingredients, designed to help you support your metabolism, build lean muscle and be greater than your goals.
Shop Gut Health
Put your gut health first. Our powerful probiotics, enzymes and supplements are designed to promote gut health and comfort, healthy digestive function and immune system support.
Shop Vitamins & Minerals
Designed to fill the gaps left by modern diets, our superfood formulas combine ancient techniques like fermentation with clinically proven ingredients for results you can really feel.
Shop Herbals
Explore targeted benefits like building a healthy immune defense, or overall benefits for a healthy life, from history’s most powerful superfood ingredients.
Shop Bundles
Save on intentionally paired supplements to help you achieve your goals. Whether you’re just getting started or well on your wellness journey, there’s a bundle for you.
Holiday
Don’t miss a thing! Find everything holiday in one place from festive deals to helpful gift guides and more.
Our Story
Ancient Nutrition is driven by our mission to bring history’s most powerful superfoods to the world with a steadfast commitment to restoring our farmlands and healing our planet through regenerative farming.
Home/Blog/Collagen for Hair Growth & How Much to Take
Collagen for Hair Growth & How Much to Take
By Rachel Link, RD, MS
September 11, 2023
Collagen powders are among the most sought out supplements for supporting healthy, elastic and smooth-looking skin, but did you know that you can also take collagen for hair growth?
Within collagen protein, which is a complex protein that helps give structure to various parts of the body, you’ll find amino acids that support the health of connective tissues, skin, bones, muscles and hair.
Can collagen really make your hair grow? The health and thickness of your hair ultimately depends on a number of factors, such as your age, genetics, diet and lifestyle.
However, it’s thought that collagen supplements — such as Multi Collagen Protein powder — in conjunction with other products may help to promote healthy hair growth by providing your body with protein that hair follicles require. Find out why it's one of the best supplements for hair growth.
Thick healthy hair is a common interest that many adults have, especially men and women over the age of 30.
How does collagen support healthy, thick hair exactly? Having healthy hair really comes down to having healthy hair follicles — and these follicles require protein and other compounds to keep hair healthy and growing strong.
The greatest benefit of collagen for hair is that it boosts your protein intake. This may help support the hair’s structure — boosting its resilience, shine and strength.
Hair strands are primarily made up of protein, specifically the type called keratin, which is built from smaller units called amino acids that are found in collagen foods and supplements. It’s estimated that about 80–85 percent of your hair is composed of keratin protein. For keratin to be maintained your body needs amino acids; otherwise, chains of fibers in your hair may break up leading to brittle and dull hair.
A natural result of the normal aging process is that the body’s internal collagen production slows down. Want to learn how to increase collagen levels? Consuming more protein and collagen via help from collagen supplements and a healthy diet are two ways to support your body’s own collagen production and nourish your hair, skin and nails.
Which type of collagen is best for hair? It’s believed that collagen types 1 and 3 are most beneficial for hair and skin health. However, acquiring various types of collagen (did you know that there are over a dozen types?) is always a good idea, since this supports the integrity of different types of tissues, such as joints and those in your gut.
When it comes to absorption, ideally you want to consume the type of collagen supplements that contain hydrolyzed collagen. These smaller collagen peptides are generally thought to be easier for the body to absorb and utilize, which helps you reap the most benefits.
Within Ancient Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Protein powder you’ll find 10 types of collagen, including types 1 and 3. This unique formula is powered by a clinically studied fermented collagen process that can promote healthy hair thickness and growth while reducing hair breakage.
A general recommendation is for adults to consume between 1 and 3 servings of collagen protein powder daily, or about 10 to 30 grams of collagen per day.
People who have bigger body sizes and who are very active tend to generally require more protein in general, so a higher intake of collagen may be appropriate in these cases.
Of course, you should always consult your healthcare professional prior to starting any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including dietary supplementation.
Try adding one scoop to 8 ounces of water, coffee, a smoothie or any beverage, or add some to recipes like pancakes, oatmeal or cookies.
Is collagen or biotin better for healthy hair growth? Biotin, sometimes also called vitamin B7, is an essential water-soluble vitamin that helps to support healthy hair, nails and skin. Some of the ways it does this is by helping to support your body’s keratin infrastructure, and by playing a role in how your body converts and uses nutrients, including fats (which turn into oils that healthy skin and hair need).
Collagen works differently than biotin for hair health because its main role is increasing protein intake and providing amino acids. This means that it’s beneficial to consume adequate amounts of both collagen and biotin ideally, which together may help promote healthy hair thickness, shine and strength.
Collagen can be taken in powdered supplement form, which is highly convenient considering these products are usually unflavored. You can also consume collagen from certain foods, as well as “collagen boosters” that help your body make its own collagen.
Some of the best food sources of collagen include:
Bone broth — bone broth is also available in a Bone Broth Protein powder form for convenience
Fish
Eggs
Gelatin
Collagen co-factors include foods high in vitamin C (like leafy greens, berries, citrus fruits, peppers, kiwi) as well as foods rich in zinc, manganese and copper
An added benefit of eating a varied, nutrient-dense diet is that you’ll obtain other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that nourish healthy hair and skin, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, B vitamins, iron and folate.
Related Articles
June 26, 2024
|health
Daily Skin Care Routine for Morning & Evening
Given all the different beauty products that are available to us — cleansers, scrubs, toners, masks, serums and moisturizers — no wonder it can be daunting to create an effective skincare routine.
April 2, 2024
|health
10 Best Supplements and Vitamins for Skin Health
When building a natural daily skincare routine, most of us tend to focus on moisturizers, creams, serums and toners. While these certainly contribute to skin health, the true secret to supporting healthy skin (even naturally aging skin) goes beyond the surface.
August 7, 2024
|health
9 Collagen Diminishers to Remove from Your Life
If you’ve done your research regarding the best collagen sources and their many benefits, you may already be supplementing with a Multi Collagen Protein powder in order to support the health of your joints, skin and gut. (You may even have checked out the groundbreaking line of Multi Collagen Advanced.)
September 7, 2023
|health
Gut Health Grocery List for Women Over 40
As one ages, maintaining a healthy gut can become both more challenging and more important. We need to have more beneficial bacteria and microbes in our guts than non-beneficial ones, as well as a healthy gut lining.