Reclaim Healthier Hair, Skin, and Nails

It's one thing to grow older. It's another to look older.

Dull, thinning hair; wrinkled, sagging skin; and weak, brittle nails are hallmarks of an aging body. They're also a warning that age may have compromised the function and content of important structural proteins like keratin,¹ collagen,² and elastin.³

Scientists have developed highly bioavailable compounds—like solubilized keratin and bioactive collagen peptides—that can help address damaging structural changes.^4-7

Preliminary evidence suggests that these nutrients may support improvements in skin quality, hair thickness, and nail strength, giving you "beauty from within."

Choose the Best Keratin

Keratin is a key structural component of the hair, nails, and the outer layer of skin.⁸ Aging affects keratin structure, which can contribute to changes in skin strength⁹ and hair structure.¹

Many people turn to keratin supplements, but not all keratin ingredients are created equal. Because natural keratin is difficult to digest, it needs to undergo processing that breaks it into smaller components.¹⁰ Unfortunately, the way it is processed can impact how effectively it works.¹¹

Solubilized keratin is different because it is the result of a specialized process that converts keratin into a form that may be more effectively utilized by the body.

Because natural keratin is water-insoluble and indigestible, processing methods are needed to break it into smaller, bioavailable components.^10,12 The specific processing method used can significantly impact the digestibility, bioavailability, and nutritive composition of the resulting keratin product.^10,11

Two studies in adult women evaluated the benefits of taking 500 mg of solubilized keratin for 90 days (along with biotin, zinc, copper, and vitamins B3, B5, and B6). The first evaluated its effect on aspects of skin health,⁴ and the second evaluated the impact on hair and nail health.⁵

The results showed that taking solubilized keratin led to the following improvements:^4,5

SKIN⁴

• 30.4% improvement in skin moisture,
• 16.8% improvement in skin elasticity, and
• 17.9% improvement in skin smoothness.

HAIR⁵

• 47.1% subjective improvement in hair appearance,
• 9.2% increase in hair follicles in the growth phase, and
• 47% reduction in the number of hairs that could be removed in a hair-pull test.

NAILS⁵

• 87.5% of subjects showed improvement in nail breakage tendency, compared with 28.5% in the placebo group,
• The proportion of subjects with hard nails increased from 37.5% to 87.5%,
• The proportion of subjects with natural nail color increased from 79.2% to 100%, and
• The proportion of subjects with smooth nails increased from 62.5% to 100%.

Improved Collagen Support

Collagen is one of the primary structural proteins of the skin, providing much of its strength and resilience.¹³ It works alongside elastin, a protein that allows the skin to stretch and bounce back.¹⁴

Together, these two structural proteins help keep skin firm, strong, and supple.

Unfortunately, we lose approximately 1% of the collagen in our skin every year during adulthood.¹⁵ This decline contributes to wrinkled, sagging skin,^16,17 as well as age-related changes in hair and nails, including thinning hair and brittle nails.^18,19

Bioactive collagen peptides are derived from collagen that has been broken down into smaller peptides that are more readily absorbed.²⁰ These peptides help stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin in the skin.⁶

The result may be younger-looking skin and stronger nails.

Two clinical trials evaluated the effects of taking 2.5 grams of bioactive collagen peptides for eight weeks.

One found that supplementation reduced wrinkle volume by 20%⁶ while the second reported a statistically significant improvement in skin elasticity.⁷ Researchers also observed a 65% increase in type I procollagen (the precursor to collagen) and an 18% increase in elastin content.⁶

A separate study showed that taking bioactive collagen peptides for six months led to a statistically significant decrease in thigh skin waviness and cellulite scores in normal-weight women.²¹

And in a 24-week open-label study, collagen peptide supplementation increased nail growth by 12% and reduced the frequency of broken nails by 42%.²²

Two Supportive Nutrients

Two additional nutrients that can help combat visible signs of aging include biotin and silicon.

Biotin is a B vitamin that can help improve nail strength in patients with brittle nails. A review of clinical trials determined that taking biotin improves the firmness, hardness, and thickness of brittle nails.²³

Silicon is a bioactive beneficial trace element that supports collagen formation in connective tissue.²⁴ A review of studies suggests that silicon may help improve skin strength and elasticity, and that higher silicon content has been associated with reduced hair loss and increased hair brightness.²⁵

Summary

With age, a decline in the function and content of key structural proteins like keratin, collagen, and elastin results in visible signs of aging in hair, skin, and nails.

Taking solubilized keratin and bioactive collagen peptides can help replenish these structural proteins, while biotin and silicon help to complement these rejuvenation effects.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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