Collagen vs Vitamin C for skin & hair
Short answer: For skin & hair, users rate them about the same: 96% report improvement with Collagen (71 reports) and 97% with Vitamin C (29 reports).
Collagen has 9 meta-analyses and 22 randomized trials on PubMed; Vitamin C has 738 and 2,072.
Based on 292 reports about Collagen and 928 about Vitamin C. Not medical advice.
| Collagen Supplement | Vitamin C Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 56%helped120 reports · high confidence | 64%helped204 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 9 / 22 | 738 / 2,072 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 96% (71) | 97% (29) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 94% (47) | 100% (12) |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | — | 90% (40) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 92% (24) | 80% (15) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 33% (3) | 94% (34) |
| Common side effects | fatigue, insomnia, drowsiness, histamine episode | kidney stones, stomach issues, insomnia, bone pain |
| Typical dose reported | 7 g / daily | 2000 mg / daily |
The findings of improved hydration and elasticity were also confirmed in the subgroup meta-analysis. Based on results, ingestion of hydrolyzed collagen for 90 days is effective in reducing skin aging, as it reduces wrinkles and improves skin elasticity and hydration.
Int J Dermatol, 2021 ↗“Within hours of consumption my consistent upper back pain is literally gone, but along with it comes dizziness and a feeling of aloofness.”
The failure of vitamin C supplementation to reduce the incidence of colds in the general population indicates that routine vitamin C supplementation is not justified, yet vitamin C may be useful for people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise. Regular supplementation trials have shown that vitamin C reduces the duration of colds, but this was not replicated in the few therapeutic trials that have been carried out. Nevertheless, given the consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration and severity of colds in the regular supplementation studies, and the low cost and safety, it m
Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013 ↗“I know people say you get enough vitamin C from diet but I feel and look better when I supplement it.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate