There’s no word thrown around more than collagen when people talk about keeping their hair healthy… well, that and keratin!
Like a nagging aunt, everyone in the beauty world says we need collagen… but do we, really? What’s so special about it? And come to think of it, what is collagen, exactly?
To help wrap your mind around it, let’s break down collagen – or hydrolyze it (trust us, you’ll appreciate the joke later) ;) – so you can better understand its importance in your body and ultimately, on your hair.
What is collagen?
Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins inside our bodies, and that means we use a lot of it. It makes up much of our connective tissues including, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and our all-important skin. It provides our skin cells structure and even helps to strengthen our bones.
Based on the undead, collagen is probably the first thing to go in zombies...😳
So we like to think of taking collagen as zombie-proofing our bodies...😅
The problem is, collagen doesn’t break down easily inside our bodies and cannot be absorbed in its whole form. The solution? ‘hydrolyzed’ collagen – or collagen that has already been broken down, making it easier for your body to process and absorb!
How does collagen help my hair?
Because it’s such an important building block, our hair – like our skin which is constantly shedding and growing anew – needs a good supply of collagen to pull from so it can keep our locks strong, flexible, and most importantly, luscious as can be!
While there’s little to no science behind the assertion that collagen protects against becoming a zombie, collagen is believed to increase moisture and elasticity in our hair. It can even help protect hair follicles from damage since it can act as a natural antioxidant.
Other health benefits of collagen
Hair is kind of our thing 😉 but collagen isn't just a 'hair thing.' Collagen also boasts a variety of other whole-body benefits, such as:
- Improving skin elasticity
- Boosting muscle mass
- Preventing bone loss
- Relieving joint pain
- De-zombifying (according to spellcheck, that’s a real word)
What an amazingly helpful little protein!
How do I get more collagen into my diet?
Like most nutrients, the best way we can get more collagen into our bodies is through ingestion. So, you could try adding a lot more pork skin to your diet, which is high in collagen. Or, you could also commit to slurping bone broth soup, which sounds especially nice on a chilly spring day.
But, if you’re not down with eating pork skin and drinking bone broth every day, we’d recommend investing in a good collagen supplement. After all, keeping your body ‘connected’ is worth it!
–> Try HAIRLOVE's Growth Complex to help boost your hair growth
Feature photo by Kristoffer Jensen on Unsplash
