Collagen Supplements Back in Focus: New Review Explains Skin Gains, Limits and Who Benefits

Taken regularly, collagen supplements can improve skin elasticity and hydration — and ease joint pain — but they do not erase wrinkles. This matters now because a broad scientific review pooling 16 reviews and 113 trials involving nearly 8, 000 people reframes collagen not as an instant cosmetic trick but as a long-term supportive option for ageing and sun-damaged skin. The review was published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.

Context rewind: why this review resets expectations

The review authors conclude that collagen pills or powders deliver "some legitimate" skin benefits when used consistently over time, but they stress these products are not an anti-wrinkle quick fix. It examined many studies and found credible gains in elasticity and moisture, while noting no clear effect on skin roughness. The analysis also highlights improvements for symptoms of osteoarthritis, such as joint pain and stiffness.

What the analysis covered and what it found

The review synthesised evidence from 16 prior reviews and 113 clinical trials involving almost 8, 000 participants worldwide. Key, uncontested findings in the dataset: collagen supplementation can increase skin elasticity and hydration; it does not prevent wrinkles; it did not significantly change skin roughness in pooled results; and it showed symptom relief for arthritis-related wear and tear, pain and stiffness.

How collagen fits into the body’s ageing process

Collagen is a protein the body produces naturally that supports skin, nails, bones and connective tissues including tendons and cartilage. Production falls from early adulthood onwards, with existing collagen breaking down at a slightly faster rate. Around the menopause — when women stop having periods — researchers say the skin loses roughly a third of its collagen. These physiological shifts help explain why the review positions collagen as a maintenance tool rather than a rapid cosmetic cure.

Types, limits and research transparency

Supplements come in several forms — marine, bovine and vegan — but the review could not show that one type outperforms another. The research team emphasised that many individual studies have been funded by the supplement industry, and the review itself reported no industry funding. That funding pattern is a recurring caveat when interpreting trial claims and marketing language about dramatic anti-ageing effects.

Who will feel this most and practical implications

Here’s the part that matters: the findings reposition collagen for two clear audiences. First, people aiming for incremental restoration of elasticity and skin moisture — outcomes associated with a younger-looking appearance. Second, patients experiencing osteoarthritis symptoms who may see relief in pain and stiffness. If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up in consumer conversations, marketing has often overstated benefits; the review narrows those claims.

• Intended stakeholders: post-menopausal women seeking dermal support; individuals with UV-damaged skin; people with osteoarthritis symptoms.
• Not supported: claims that supplements will stop or fully reverse wrinkles.
• Unclear: whether marine, bovine or vegan formulas are superior — the review could not determine this.

Research gaps and the next signals to watch

The real question now is whether future independent trials can confirm magnitude and durability of the skin and joint benefits and clarify differences between supplement types. Signals that would strengthen confidence include long-term, non-industry-funded trials and consistent findings on skin roughness and wrinkle depth. Until then, the review frames collagen as a complementary, inside-out approach to skin maintenance rather than a miracle cure.

Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, noted that diet also plays an important role in external skin health. The researchers who led the review, including Professor Lee Smith of Anglia Ruskin University, summarised that collagen is not a cure-all but does show credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis.

What's easy to miss is the balance of modest, measurable benefits against overstated marketing claims; readers should treat collagen supplements as one piece of a broader skin- and joint-care strategy rather than a standalone solution.