Which Is the Best Collagen for Nails and How Much to Take

24 February 2025

Several studies show collagen types I and III are the best for your nails. Interestingly, using the best ingredients may not benefit you if they aren’t available to your body in the amounts needed.

Highlights

  1. Common nail issues, such as chipping, cracking, brittleness, and dullness have been associated with depressive symptoms. The risk may be higher among women.
  2. The best collagen for nails is the one that contains the right ingredients in the right amounts.
  3. A growing body of evidence suggests that collagen types I and III are the best for your nails.
  4. While researchers have yet to pinpoint the effective dose of collagen, we can safely say that about 10,000 mg per dose is the safest lower limit.

Overwhelmed with the ads for collagen? You’re not alone. You might have tried many products with flashy claims but in vain.

In this article, we explain which collagen (and how much) is best for your nails. Besides, we will help you find the best collagen formulation for healthy, strong nails.

A Quick Overview of Collagen and Its Roles

Collagen is a type of structural protein. Because it is rigid and resistant to stretching, it also provides strength to various organs and tissues, such as skin, hair, nails, tendons, bones, and ligaments.

Key roles of collagen in the body include:

  • Helping your skin grow and replace dead skin cells
  • Providing a protective covering for your organs
  • Providing structure, strength, and elasticity to the skin
  • Helping form a blood clot

The three main collagen types in the human body are types I, II, and III. Among these, type II is best for your joints, while types I and III are best for your nails.

Best Collagen for Nails: Understanding the Basics

Keratin is the main structural protein that keeps your nail smooth, soft, and strong. It contains several amino acids, such as glycine, valine, cysteine, and methionine.

Keratin deficiency is one of the reasons your nails become brittle and more prone to breakage. It can occur when the levels of amino acids that make keratin drop, due to either nutritional deficiencies or illnesses. It is exactly when a collagen supplement comes into play.

Also Read: Are Collagen Supplements Safe? A Closer Look at the Latest Evidence

4 Ways Oral Collagen Can Help Improve Nail Health

1.   Collagen strengthens your nails

In a 2017 trial, participants took 2.5 g of collagen peptides (collagen types I and III) once daily for 6 months. During treatment and four months after stopping oral collagen, a doctor checked for:

  • How fast the nails grew
  • How often the nails cracked or chipped
  • Brittle nails

The findings were promising, with: (1)

  • 12% increase in nail growth rate
  • 42% decrease in the frequency of broken nails
  • 64% of participants who achieved improvement in brittle nails

Notably, nearly 90% of participants reported continued improvement in nail health during the 4 weeks post-treatment period. Also, 80% of participants agreed they were satisfied with the treatment.

2.   Collagen softens your nails and makes them less brittle

In a 2014 study, women who received 20 g of a supplement (collagen, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and lipids) daily for 8 weeks achieved: (2)

  1. 80% decrease in the severity of nail cracking
  2. 80% decrease in the severity of nail brittleness
  3. Significant improvement in nail softness

The authors concluded that supplementation with peptides, collagen, and hyaluronic acid provides measurable benefits in maintaining nail health.

3.   Collagen makes your nails smooth

According to Korean researchers, taking fish-derived collagen type I for 3 months significantly improves the roughness of the fingernail plate. (3)

4.   Collagen improves the signs of nail ageing

As you age, your nails become brittle and dull. Other signs of nail ageing can include:

  • Ingrown toenails
  • Lengthwise ridges
  • Nail discoloration 

Fortunately, taking a collagen supplement can help improve these signs. According to a 2024 trial, taking 5 g of collagen for at least 3 months can help improve the visible signs of nail ageing. (4)

Best Collagen for Nails Is the One that REALLY Works

In the supplement industry, it’s often seen that marketing claims fail to align with the results. People tend to believe in hype instead of science. To make things worse, supplement manufacturers make unrealistic claims in a way that fascinates people. And, as always, science takes a backseat to marketing.

What happens next is a chain of events that can be catastrophic. For example, impurities in those supplements can harm your health; let alone the loss of hard-earned money.

The painful truth is that many of us take a supplement without knowing what is and how much is in it. Both quality and quantity of ingredients are crucial to your health.

For instance, you may take a high-quality supplement. But what if it contains less than the required amount of the essential ingredients? You won’t get the desired results.

Collagen for nails comes in different formulations. These include:

  • Tablets
  • Sachets
  • Liquids
  • Powders

Liquid collagen is often considered the best because it:

  • Contains more nutrients per dose
  • Is easy to swallow (compare swallowing a large tablet!)
  • Makes nutrients readily available to the body

Further Reading: Liquid supplements beat tablets, why is that?

Not to forget, the best collagen for nails contains at least 10,000 mg of collagen.

How Does Collagen Work for Your Nails?

It’s much more nuanced.

The exact mechanism of action of collagen for nail health is unknown. That said, there’s enough evidence to support the health benefits of oral collagen supplementation.

The studies mentioned above don’t show a cause-and-effect relationship. So, the results/conclusions are mostly based on observation.

One potential mechanism could be the presence of cysteine in collagen supplements. Cysteine—an amino acid that accounts for nearly 22% of nail keratins—determines nail strength, appearance, and

Cysteine deficiency has been shown to cause brittle nails, which is a critical cosmetic problem, especially among women. In fact, some studies have linked brittle nails to depressive symptoms. (5)

According to a 2019 study, cysteine alone or combined with a natural keratin hydrolysate can improve common nail issues, such as chipping, cracking, and brittleness. Besides, cysteine can help make your nails appear smooth and bright. (6)

Best Collagen for Nails: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How Long to Take Collagen for Nails?

Your nails grow slowly and it’s hard for the active ingredients to reach the nail tissues. Thus, you will need to wait several weeks before the benefits appear. In the meantime, it’s also crucial not to discontinue treatment for several weeks or even months.

  1. Is type 1, 2, or 3 collagen best?

Collagen types 1 and 3 are best for your skin, hair, and nails. On the other hand, type II is specific to joint health and can help relieve joint pain and swelling.

  1. Is oral collagen safe?

Oral collagen has an excellent safety profile. Doses up to 10,000 mg daily for up to six months appear safe.

  1. At what age should I take collagen?

Collagen production starts slowing down in your mid-to late-20s. Thus, it’s best to start taking a collagen supplement around your mid-20s.

  1.  Should I take collagen every day?

Taking collagen daily is safe and can help improve skin, hair, nail, and joint health.

References:

  1. Hexsel, Doris et al. “Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails.” Journal of cosmetic dermatology vol. 16,4 (2017): 520-526. doi:10.1111/jocd.12393
  2. A Nutritional Supplement Formulated With Peptides, Lipids, Collagen and  Hyaluronic Acid Optimizes Key Aspects of Physical Appearance in Nails,  Hair and Skin. www.longdom.org/open-access/a-nutritional-supplement-formulated-with-peptides-lipids-collagen-and-hyaluronic-acid-optimizes-key-aspects-of-physical-appearance-in-nails-hair-and-skin-2155-9600.S5-002.pdf.
  3. Sun Hwa Lee, Hye Kyong Park, Hye Ji Lee, Ah Reum Jo, Eun-Ju Lee, Se-Hee Hwang, Hee-Chul Chung, Jin-Hee Lee, Do-Un Kim, Jongsung Lee, Tae Kee Moon. Oral Supplementation with Low-molecular-weight Collagen Peptide Improves Hydration, Facial Lifting, Dermal Density, Skin Desquamation and Nails: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, and Maintenance of Effect Study. Journal of Food and Nutrition Research. 2022; 10(8):546-559. doi: 10.12691/jfnr-10-8-3.
  4. Vleminckx, Sara et al. “Influence of collagen peptide supplementation on visible signs of skin and nail health and -aging in an East Asian population: A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.” Journal of cosmetic dermatology vol. 23,11 (2024): 3645-3653. doi:10.1111/jocd.16458
  5. Gequelim, Giulio Cesar et al. “Perception of brittle nails in dermatologic patients: a cross-sectional study.” Anais brasileiros de dermatologia vol. 88,6 (2013): 1022-5. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20132327
  6. Nobile V, Duperray J, Cestone E, Sergheraert R, Tursi F (2019) Efficacy  and Safety  of L-Cystine Associated or not  to a  Natural  Keratin (Kera-Diet®) Hydrolysate on Hair and  Nails: Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Trial on Healthy Females. J  Cosmo Trichol 5: 142. doi:10.4172/2471-9323.1000142