NEW YORK (Nov. 19, 2019) – Oral Collagen Supplements: Are they Fountain of Youth or Snake-oil? The New York Times cites SanovaWorks publication, the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD).

In January 2019, the JDD (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology) published “Oral Collagen Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Dermatological Applications” published a literature review and analysis of eleven scientific studies that all met defined criteria. All studies included in the review were considered “randomized-controlled studies” lending weight to their voice. The study concluded that results were optimistic for both short and long-term use of oral collagen supplements for wound healing and skin aging. Additionally, skin elasticity, hydration and collagen density were seen to increase with use. The authors of the study cited that collagen supplementation was generally safe with no reported adverse events however advised that further studies were required to provide better clinical guidelines for the use of collagen. SanovaWorks blog for young dermatologists and residents, Next Steps in Derm, provides a summary of the JDD article here.

Collagen is a protein that makes up approximately 80% of our skin and yet declines in volume at a rate of about 1% annually from our 20’s, says Dr. Whitney Bowe, a board-certified dermatologist. The question is, can you replenish your skin and youthful look through applying additional collagen on your skin or consuming similar supplements? The New York Times took a closer look at this subject citing JDD article.

You can find the New York Times article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/style/self-care/collagen-benefits.html

Dr. Bowe believes that the studies, “though small and preliminary,” show promise. Dr. Bowe has begun recommending oral collagen to her patients and has observed noticeable positive changes in skin elasticity, firmness and hydration.

“With volume of information available to the consumer it is imperative that independent scientific studies continue to be conducted and reported on to protect the consumer and patient. This is what we strive to do with the JDD” says Shelley Tanner, President of SanovaWorks, publisher of JDD (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology).