WHY COLLAGEN ISN'T HELPING YOUR SKIN, and what to do instead. ↓🧵 Collagen supplements are some of the most proliferous and highly recommended products for skin, hair, and nails.

While many people do see changes in their hair and nail growth after supplementing collagen, I've dug around and found that many people complain that their skin hasn't changed a bit from supplementing collagen, even if studies claim that they should see a difference.

I have a few ideas as to why this might happen in people’s real world experiences. Here is just one of them. ↓

On the topical use of botanical oils, fatty acids, and rosehip oil (something that has saved my skin!)

I've been using this oil on and off since I was 15, amongst trying many other topicals, but I always return to it. This is especially good for those with acne-prone skin! 🧵💞 Botanical oils have been used for thousands of years. Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia was first published around AD 77, detailing the various plant-derived oils used across the Roman Empire for emollient, purgative, and beautifying properties (e.g. almond and castor oil).

The manuscript below was published in 1469, a testament to the timelessness and popularity of the text.

My hair grows around 2 inches per month; 4x as fast as average.

As I've struggled with damaged and thin hair in the past, I would like to share some tips on how I naturally increased hair growth/volume/health, as well as tips to prevent hair loss and greying 🧵 Hair length, volume, and health are dependent on a few factors:

1. Maintaining a healthy scalp environment (pH)
2. Intake of certain nutrients
3. Proper maintenance (including massage and the blocking of DHT receptors)

I will cover these in 3 sections.

Childhood trauma and dysfunctional upbringings can condition the body into a perpetual fight/flight/freeze response. With long term elevation of cortisol, children may develop a dysfunctional HPA axis, which can damage metabolic and cardiovascular health, fertility, and immunity.

https://twitter.com/mercurialsarah/status/1831498759299342699

It has been found that children who experience chronic stress and abuse are more likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein and cytokines, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, at a later stage in life. In other words, their bodies show elevated signs of inflammation.