Acne scars can make you feel so insecure that you tend to worry always about what people think about your face and how you look. Sometimes, it seems like no matter what the skincare product you use or how clean you eat, pimples still appear on your face.

The worst part is that even when the blemishes subside, it sometimes leaves pitted scars and uneven skin tone. This would leave you asking questions like, “when will this skincare burden go away?”

Well, many over-the-counter products promise to clear acne, but most times, the breakdown persists even after using these products. But interestingly, many people have been turning to collagen supplements for acne scars, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Well, much information online talks about the benefits of collagen for improving joint pain, supporting injury recovery, and gut health. So it is okay to wonder if collagen actually plays a role in the health of our skin, especially in clearing acne scars.

Relax, in this article, we shall discuss the lowdown on the power of collagen supplements in clearing acne scars. But let’s first understand what acne scarring is all about.

What is Acne Scarring?

There are different definitions out there for acne scarring, and that’s simply because it comes in different forms, including ice-pick, boxcar, and rolling scars.

I’ll explain these three forms of acne scars in simple words:

Ice pick scars: These are small scars with a narrow indention, usually seen on the cheeks.

Boxcar scars: These are broad in appearance with sharply defined edges. They usually appear on the jaw and lower cheek, where the skin is quite thick.

Rolling scars: These scars have sloping edges and varying depth. But they make the skin appear uneven and wavy.

If you have acne scarring, check it closely, it would usually be in any of the forms described above.

However, acne scars are caused by the damage of collagen in your skin.  Most times, the bacteria that cause acne damage your skin tissue and weaken the underlying skin cells. And if you pop a zit, it often leaves a scar behind.

Also, cystic acne, which is a severe form of acne, is caused by an infection in the deepest layer of the skin. This destroys the skin and fat cells around the infected area, which often results in scar formation in the deepest layer of the skin.

For most people, it often takes a few weeks post-breakout for scars to form. And once acne scars form, new blood vessels form and provide the skin area with nourishment.

Does Collagen Help with Acne Scars?

Collagen, which is a tough fiber-like protein, plays a huge role in any healing process. After new blood vessels move into the area where acne scars form to provide nourishment, collagen also starts to form to help fill the injured skin (usually after a few months).

Anytime your skin is injured, the fibroblast cells produce collagen to close the wounds. The collagen fills it with fresh, new skin to replace the lost volume and make your skin appear smoother.

However, acne often leaves a crater-like scars behind when collagen doesn’t grow as it should after a pimple heals. Besides, your collagen production level drops as you grow older. That’s where the need for collagen supplementation comes in.

Adding a collagen supplement in your routine helps speed up collagen formation and the repair of damaged tissues to heal skin conditions such as acne scars.

Collagen supplements offer benefits for acne scars because:

They contain anti-inflammatory amino acids

Collagen is formed by a network of amino acids – about 19 different types, including proline, lysine, glycine, and hydroxyproline. Glycine and lysine, in particular, are known to have strong anti-inflammatory properties, which help to reduce the symptoms such as redness, swelling, and tenderness associated with inflammatory acne.

Strengthen and hydrate the skin

Collagen plays a key role in strengthening and giving structure and stability to the skin. So, increasing your collagen level through supplementation is a good way to smoothen the irregular skin texture and tone that is caused by acne scars.

Collagen also helps increase skin hydration, thereby preventing dry skin. This in turn helps to regulate sebum production and reduce breakouts.

How to Boost Your Collagen Level to Clear Acne Scars

If you desire to enjoy the benefits of collagen for acne scars, you can increase your collagen level in your dermis in the following ways:

Eating Collagen-boosting Foods

Your nutrition plays a huge role in the health of your skin. You can consider adding foods rich in collagen and other supporting vitamins to your diet routine.

 Some good examples include collagen bone broth, made by boiling down the bones of chicken, beef, or pork to make a soup. Adding these foods into your diet can help boost your collagen levels for healthy skin, muscles, and joints.

Also, foods like citrus fruits, eggs, berries, oysters, seeds, and nuts also support collagen levels. Eating collagen-boosting foods like this provides your body with the necessary nutrients needed for collagen synthesis (including vitamin C and amino acids).

Collagen Creams

Collagen is also available in the form of creams and serums. But most times, many of these products do not match their claims of replenishing and restoring the body’s collagen levels.

The reason is not far-fetched. Collagen is a large molecule in its native state and it may be hard to get absorbed through the dermis. Most topical collagen products only sit on your skin until they’re washed away.

However, if you see collagen hydrolysate or hydrolyzed collagen peptides stated in the description, you may have more luck.

Collagen Supplement

You can add a collagen powder, liquid, or pill supplement to your routine to boost your collagen levels and therefore improve your skin health.

Studies have shown that oral supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen peptides is far more effective in boosting your body’s collagen production than foods. That’s because collagen supplements are more bioavailable and are absorbed faster into the bloodstream.

Collagen supplements containing hydrolyzed collagen peptides that are broken down into nano-sized pieces have a fast absorption rate and they quickly trigger collagen production in the body.

You can try quality collagen drinks such as the Indulgence Chocolate Collagen Powder. But if you’re always on-the-go, you can try collagen capsules, such as the Indulgence Collagen Capsules. These supplements are loaded with collagen and the right nutrients needed to speed up your skin’s healing process, fight signs of aging, and clear acne scars.

How Do You Choose the Right Collagen Supplement?

Collagen supplements are great for supporting collagen production in the body to help heal acne scars. But when choosing a supplement, always ensure they have the following:

• Produced in a FDA and GMP-compliant facility
•  Third-party testing result from a certified lab
•  Contain no fillers, additives, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and no inflammatory ingredients.

However, it is important to always discuss with your dermatologists to help trace the source of your acne problems. Acne can be related to puberty, hormonal changes, birth control, diet, products you’re using. Also, you can consult a health expert to guide your decision making on which product is best for you.

Final Remark

Collagen supplements have been found to help boost the ability of the skin to produce collagen. Taking these supplements, especially the hydrolyzed form as a powder, capsule, or pill, helps improve both your skin’s elasticity and hydration. This helps in the healing and improvement of the appearance of acne scars.

However, note that collagen won’t remove excess oil from your skin or clear your pores. Instead, it works to help strengthen your skin’s barrier and reduce the appearance of acne scarring.

Cobionic offers the best quality collagen supplements in the form of powder and capsule. You can add the option that works best for you into your routine. You may also include our wide range of natural supplements formulated to support healthy living and a more vibrant life.

Also read - What Is Skin Regeneration?

Mike Miryala, Head Pharmacist at CoBionic