Your dull, lifeless, sparse head of hair is trying to tell you something, and no, it’s not that you need to try a different shampoo brand. Hair health is directly related to your overall health, so ignoring red flags like hair loss, breakage, and slow growth could mean that you are ignoring bigger health problems. Your hair health is certainly an indicator of your overall health, but lifeless hair is a surprisingly easy problem to solve with a simple supplement: collagen. Collagen is made up of the amino acids your hair needs to build stronger, healthier hair. And if you can find collagen that has vitamin C and digestive enzymes that help reduce inflammation and efficiently absorb nutrients, you are on the path to vibrant, healthy hair. If you are ready to find the best collagen for hair, read on to find out what to look for in collagen for healthy hair.
Editor's Choice: Xyngular Complete Collagen
The number one reason we chose Xyngular’s Complete Collagen may surprise you—it’s because it has digestive enzymes that help your body reduce inflammation. Inflammation is one of the main causes of hair loss and dullness, and when we tackle the problem of inflammation from the inside out, collagen can work its magic with even better results.
Our Review Process
If you’ve heard of collagen, you’ve heard that it’s great for healthier hair, skin, and nails. And collagen alone can definitely improve your hair, but combining collagen with other supplements will give you faster, more impressive results. Our team of researchers used our standard metrics, like price, taste, availability, and more to review these collagen products.
But to find the best collagen for hair, we needed to add some criteria. We looked for collagen that had the four important amino acids that help keratin production (lysine, cysteine, arginine, and methionine), contained marine collagen, had at least 25% DV of vitamin C and also had serrapeptase and protease. The four amino acids are fundamental building blocks of keratin, which is what your hair is made of. Marine collagen is 100% type I collagen, the type that is the most beneficial for hair health. Vitamin C helps your body build collagen as well as absorb iron, which is crucial for healthy hair.
Finally, we looked for collagen products that had the digestive enzymes serrapeptase and protease, and the reason will surprise you- both are shown to help reduce inflammation which is a huge cause of hair loss. In fact, 5 studies found that serrapeptase has anti-inflammatory properties. When addressing hair loss, you have to combat the problem from multiple angles, which is why finding the right collagen to help with hair health is so important.
#1: Xyngular Complete Collagen: Hair Health From The Inside Out
Collagen Specifications
Collagen Amount: 10 g
Protein Amount: 9 g
Gluten-Free: Yes
Multi-Sourced: Yes
Multiple Types: Yes
Hydrolyzed Collagen: Yes
Vitamin C: Yes
Taste: 4.5/5
Price: $$$$ $65 for 30 servings ($2.17 per serving)
Accessibility: Purchase through their website or distributor
Marine Collagen: Yes
4 Amino Acids For Hair Growth: Yes
Serrapeptase And Protease: Yes
Collagen Per Serving
10 g
Reasons To Buy
Serrapeptase and protease to help digestion and reduce inflammation, high collagen content, vitamin C for hair growth and iron absorption, multiple sources and types of collagen
Reasons To Avoid
Harder to get your hands on, and a little more expensive than other products we’ve reviewed for hair health.
Your hair is a reflection of your internal health, and that’s why choosing collagen that addresses your overall health will inevitably lead to healthier hair. Which makes Complete Collagen is our number-one pick for the best collagen for hair. It includes marine collagen, which is one of the biggest sources of type I collagen that helps build healthy hair. It also has vitamin C, which is not only necessary for your body to effectively use collagen, but vitamin C helps your body use iron which is also crucial for healthy hair growth.
The main reason we chose Complete Collagen is the serrapeptase and protease. When we dug into the benefits of these ingredients for hair health, we found that they help reduce inflammation, which is a huge contributor to hair loss. No other company directly addresses inflammation with their collagen supplement, and for that reason, we recommend Complete Collagen if you want hair that is healthy on the inside and the outside.
#2: Ancient Nutrition Collagen Protein: Inexpensive Plus Vitamin C
Collagen Specifications
Collagen Amount: 10 g
Protein Amount: 9 g
Gluten-Free: Yes
Multi-Sourced: Yes
Multiple Types: Yes
Hydrolyzed Collagen: Yes
Vitamin C: Yes
Taste: 4/5
Price: $ $38 for 45 servings ($0.85 per serving)
Accessibility: Available on Amazon
Marine Collagen: Yes
4 Amino Acids For Hair growth: Yes
Serrapeptase And Protease: No
Collagen Per Serving
10 g
Reasons To Buy
200% DV for vitamin C, climate-friendly, inexpensive, probiotics included
Reasons To Avoid
No serrapeptase and protease, doesn’t dissolve as well in cold water as other collagen products
Ancient Nutrition Collagen Protein is a solid choice if you are already taking digestive enzymes as part of your health regimen. With plenty of collagen, a decent taste and sourced from fish, this collagen gives you a band for your buck. If you’re looking for a collagen supplement that also provides vitamin C, this is the one for you—it has 200% of your daily value. Vitamin C helps your body use collagen and iron, both critical for hair health. With such a high vitamin C content, you don’t have to worry about taking another supplement to ensure your body has the right amount to help with hair growth. That being said, without the anti-inflammatory benefits of serrapeptase and protease, your collagen isn’t as effective at preventing hair loss or spurring hair growth. Ancient Nutrition Collagen Protein is a good choice if you are getting digestive enzymes elsewhere and you don’t want to take a separate vitamin C supplement.
#3: Vital Proteins Marine Collagen: One Ingredient Simplicity With High Collagen Content
Collagen Specifications
Collagen Amount: 12 g
Protein Amount: 11 g
Gluten-Free: Yes
Multi-Sourced: No
Multiple Types: Yes
Hydrolyzed Collagen: Yes
Vitamin C: No
Taste: 2.8/5
Price: $$ $31 for 18 servings ($1.72 per serving)
Accessibility: Available on Amazon
Marine Collagen: Yes
4 Amino Acids For Hair Growth: Yes
Serrapeptase And Protease: No
Collagen Per Serving
12 g
Reasons To Buy
Simple marine collagen, easy to digest, higher collagen content
Reasons To Avoid
No vitamin C, no digestive enzymes, fishy taste in plain coffee or water
Vital Proteins Marine Collagen has one simple ingredient—marine collagen sourced from whitefish off the coast of Alaska. If you are looking for marine collagen that has no extras, this is it. The benefit of such simple collagen is that you can easily add it to your existing health regimen without worrying about how the ingredients might interact with other supplements or prescriptions you are taking, but the downside is that you have to take other supplements to really get the benefits of this collagen. Remember, without vitamin C, your body can’t effectively use collagen. And without serrapeptase and protease, any inflammation that might be causing hair loss won’t be addressed.
If you want to layer your supplements and you already take vitamin C and digestive enzymes, then this is the right collagen supplement for you. If you are looking for a supplement that provides everything your body needs to help you grow strong, shiny hair, consider Complete Collagen.
#4: Further Food Marine Collagen Peptides: Marine Collagen Without Vitamin C
Collagen Specifications
Collagen Amount: 6.6 g
Protein Amount: 6 g
Gluten-Free: Yes
Multi-Sourced: No
Multiple Types: Yes
Hydrolyzed Collagen: Yes
Vitamin C: No
Taste: 3.2/5
Price: $$ $27 for 28 servings ($1.03 per serving)
Accessibility: Available On Amazon
Marine Collagen: Yes
4 Amino Acids For Hair Growth: Yes
Serrapeptase And Protease: No
Collagen Per Serving
6.6 g
Reasons To Buy
Inexpensive, decent taste, dissolves quickly
Reasons To Avoid
Low collagen content, no digestive enzymes to help reduce inflammation, no vitamin C.
Further Foods Marine Collagen Peptides are a great source of marine collagen to help boost type I collagen in your body. It’s also on the less expensive side of the spectrum, making it appealing for those looking to save some money. However, because it doesn’t have vitamin C, has a lower collagen content, and doesn’t have digestive enzymes to help with inflammation, you will likely have to take other supplements to make your collagen effective. If your only reason for choosing this collagen supplement is the price, you might want to consider the cost of taking vitamin C and digestive enzymes separately and decide if it is actually cheaper to opt for Further Foods Marine Collagen. This collagen does dissolve fairly well and marine collagen doesn’t have as much of a fishy taste as others. Overall, you’re going to get some type I collagen that will help your hair grow, but to be truly effective you need to add at least vitamin C as a supplement.
#5: Neocell Super Collagen Tablets: Low Collagen Content Tablets With Tons Of Biotin
Collagen Specifications
Collagen Amount: 3 g
Protein Amount: 3 g
Gluten-Free: Yes
Multi-Sourced: No
Multiple Types: Yes
Hydrolyzed Collagen: Yes
Vitamin C: Yes
Taste: 2.5/5
Price: $ $38 for 90 servings ($0.22 per serving)
Accessibility: Available On Amazon
Marine Collagen: No
4 Amino Acids For Hair Growth: Yes
Serrapeptase And Protease: No
Collagen Per Serving
3 g
Reasons To Buy
Very inexpensive, has biotin and vitamin C, some people prefer tablets over powdered collagen
Reasons To Avoid
3 tablets a day is a lot of maintenance, has low collagen content, doesn’t have digestive enzymes, is not multi-sourced, the pill is on the larger side.
Neocell Super Collagen Tablets have biotin and vitamin C, both crucial for overall hair growth and health. With a high biotin content (8333% DV), this product seems like it could be a good option for rapid hair growth. Biotin is absolutely crucial for hair growth, and you should be taking biotin in some form to help with hair growth. That being said, most multivitamins have biotin, so this very high biotin content doesn’t necessarily make it stand out on our list. This is the least expensive per-serving collagen product we’ve reviewed, but it only has 3 grams of collagen per serving. It also requires you to take 3 capsules a day, rather than one serving in the morning. Additionally, it doesn’t have marine collagen or serrapeptase and protease. With marine collagen being a primary source for type I collagen which is crucial for hair growth, the absence of marine collagen is also contributing to its 5th place ranking.
If you are looking for a very inexpensive entry to collagen, you don’t mind taking pills throughout the day, and you are already taking digestive enzymes and vitamin C in other supplements, this could be a good choice for you. But to find a one-stop shop for collagen for hair growth, consider one of our top choices.
How Does Collagen Help With Hair
It may surprise you that our primary reason for choosing Complete Collagen is its anti-inflammatory properties, but when you understand how inflammation can affect all the systems in your body, it isn’t surprising at all.
When your body is in a state of chronic inflammation, your immune system activates into hyperdrive and starts attacking healthy cells. What can cause inflammation? Three main causes are stress, exposure to toxins and diseases, and hormone imbalances. Addressing inflammation with serrapeptase and protease can help get to the “root” of your hair problems. When your body isn’t inflamed, it’s not as likely to attack healthy cells including the cells responsible for hair growth.
Of course, collagen alone is fundamental to your hair health, as most collagen has the four important amino acids for hair growth: lysine, cysteine, arginine, and methionine. The combination of these amino acids, serrapeptase, and protease addresses hair loss from multiple angles, ensuring your body has everything it needs to grow strong, healthy hair.
Best Way To Add Collagen To Your Diet
Collagen works best when it is taken consistently over a long period of time, so the best advice for taking collagen is to find one you will take regularly. Some people find that flavorless collagen to add to coffee, tea, oatmeal, eggs or baked goods helps them take collagen consistently. Others might prefer flavored collagen to add to smoothies or plain water, and like the different recipes, they can create multiple flavor options. Regardless of how you take it, taking it every day will yield the best, fastest results. Make sure to take 8-12 grams to give your body enough collagen to see results, and if the supplement you choose doesn’t have vitamin C, make sure you take a vitamin C supplement to help your body use the collagen effectively and to help your body use iron to help with hair growth. Finally, if your collagen doesn’t have anti-inflammatory ingredients, find one that helps your body grow healthy hair from the inside out.
Healthy Hair, Healthy Life
Your hair is an indicator of your overall health. Dull, lifeless, brittle hair that falls out with every wash indicates a larger problem in your body. The culprit is likely a combination of stress, inflammation, iron and vitamin C deficiencies, and a collagen deficiency. No matter how many hair masks, no matter how expensive your shampoo is, and no matter how often you get a trim, if your body isn’t healthy, your hair can’t be healthy.
Collagen, especially collagen that addresses your overall health, can help multiple systems in your body operate at their peak. You deserve to have a healthy body and thus healthy hair, and both are within reach when you add collagen to your wellness routine. Give yourself the gift of well-being by adding collagen to your diet, and experience the shinier, healthier hair that comes from a healthy body.
Editor’s Choice: Complete Collagen: Healthy Body, Healthy Hair.
Sometimes new health habits are expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to maintain. But adding Complete Collagen from Xyngular to your morning smoothie or coffee is an easy, simple step you can take to care for your body. And while the health benefits alone should be enough to convince you to try collagen, considering the huge changes you will see in your hair’s health and strength is enough to give it a try. For collagen that can help address your hair health from the inside out, try Complete Collagen from Xyngular.
