Can Taking A Collagen Supplement Help Grow Full Brows? Here's What We Know
As we continue to wear masks when venturing out (which we absolutely should), a few beauty changes have taken hold: Specifically, bold lip moments are quickly making their way to fun eye looks and a strong brow game. People have been particularly leaning on the latter to satisfy their beauty itch; a fluffy, brushed-up brow makes a similar statement, no?
That said, you might be looking for some low-lift ways to sport strong, healthy brows—so you don’t have to spend considerable time in the mirror, brow pencil in hand. Which raises the question: Can taking collagen help? We know the supplement has some pretty promising benefits for hair health (read up on the highlights here). But can it do the same for brows? Here's what we know.
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How collagen helps.
Here's the thing: Brow regrowth is a tricky feat: Sometimes, our affinity for tweezers in past years may halt the process. As Kerry E. Yates, trichologist and founder of Colour Collective, tells mbg, "If the follicle along your brows is damaged from overplucking, you will not grow new hair. Collagen unfortunately cannot reanimate follicles." Read: If a hair follicle is dead, no supplement is bringing it back to life.
So while it can't necessarily revive those severely damaged follicles, Yates says it absolutely can support the growth phase for your brows, just like it does for the hair on your head. Here's how it works: Your hair (brow hairs, too!) is mainly made up of the protein keratin1. For the body to build that keratin, it needs several types of amino acids, many of which are part of collagen peptides2. The theory follows that if you ingest these amino acids, they can help support your natural levels of these essential ingredients.* And while there are plenty of collagen-rich brow products meant to coat those hairs and help them thicken, topicals can only get you so far. According to Yates, "to see any positive effects, you must take [collagen] internally versus topically.*"
Enter, mindbodygreen's grass-fed collagen+. This cutting-edge supplement enhances your brows with a one-two punch: It contains hydrolyzed collagen peptides to support hair health, with the process mentioned above.* But collagen+ also includes biotin, another superstar involved in the production of keratin and believed to naturally promote healthy hair growth.* In fact, one small study showed that women with thinning hair had significant regrowth when supplementing with biotin as compared to those given a placebo.* Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that taking both biotin and collagen supplements supported increased hair growth3 in women.*
It doesn't stop there: Adding grass-fed collagen+ to your coffee can also enhance the arches you already have. That's because the powder contains vitamin C and vitamin E, known for its antioxidant properties and managing oxidative stress.* Like the strands on your head, your brow hairs are vulnerable to free radicals, so you'll want to tend to the area with antioxidants, which includes covering the brows with an antioxidant serum, yes, but ingesting those ingredients can help your body enhance its natural protection process as well.* As brow expert Joey Healy notes, "It's best to use collagen supplements and a brow serum to have a two-way approach."
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The takeaway.
If you've plucked your brows thin, taking collagen supplements won't exactly sprout brand-new fluffy arches—unfortunately, there's not much you can do after too much trauma to the area. However, mbg's grass-fed collagen+ is chock-full of good-for-skin and hair ingredients (including biotin), so it can enhance the hairs you do have and keep them fluffy and full, even if your brows naturally fall on the thinner side.
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare. In her role at mbg, she reports on everything from the top beauty industry trends, to the gut-skin connection and the microbiome, to the latest expert makeup hacks. She currently lives in New York City.