Collagen Supplements And Menopause

Menopause and collagen supplements: everything you need to know

Menopause is a major transition in a woman's life — and one that affects the body in many ways that go beyond the end of monthly cycles. One of the changes that often goes unmentioned is what happens to collagen during this stage. As oestrogen levels fall, collagen levels can drop quickly, which is one reason so many women in their forties and fifties notice changes in skin, joints, hair and bone health all happening around the same time.

In this guide, we cover what menopause does to collagen, what the research says, and how a daily collagen supplement may help support you through this stage of life.

What is menopause and when does it occur?

Menopause signals the end of monthly menstrual cycles. It can happen at different ages for everyone but typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Menopause is formally defined as the point one year after a woman's final period.

In the run-up — known as perimenopause — women may notice changes in their cycles and experience symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruption and mood changes. Behind the scenes, oestrogen levels are falling, and that hormonal shift affects many tissues in the body — including collagen.

The oestrogen-collagen connection

Research shows that collagen is largely influenced by sex hormones — especially oestrogen, which declines after menopause. Collagen from all parts of the body, including the skin, is lost rapidly after menopause. Importantly, studies confirm that the loss of collagen follows menopausal age rather than chronological age — meaning it's the hormonal change, not simply getting older, that drives this accelerated decline.

This is why women going through menopause often see visible changes in skin, hair and joints all happening around the same time. The body's natural rate of collagen production hasn't just slowed gradually with age — it has dropped more steeply alongside oestrogen.

What is collagen and how does it affect the body?

Collagen is a structural protein that helps form, repair and maintain skin, bones, joints and connective tissue. In our younger years the body produces it in plentiful supply, which is part of why skin tends to feel firmer and joints more comfortable. As collagen levels naturally decline with age — and particularly with the hormonal changes of menopause — we might notice more visible signs of ageing: fine lines, less skin firmness, weaker nails and stiffer joints.

With this known decline in collagen, it can make sense to supplement — particularly for skin changes, where the published research is strongest.

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The different ways you can supplement collagen

The format you choose matters less than choosing one you'll actually take every day. Here's how the main formats compare.

Pills and capsules

Pills and capsules are a convenient format for many supplements, but they're a poor fit for collagen specifically. The clinical research uses around 10g (10,000mg) of hydrolysed collagen per day — and it's unlikely you'll get that dose from capsules without taking a large handful. Collagen also needs to dissolve into liquid to be absorbed properly, so liquid sachets or powder mixed into a drink tend to be more practical formats.

Liquid sachets

Liquid sachets deliver a measured daily dose in one go and require no preparation. They include vitamin C alongside the collagen, which the body uses in its own collagen synthesis. The format makes daily consistency easy, which is what actually drives results.

Powder mixed into liquid

Powder-to-liquid collagen — emptying a sachet of unflavoured powder into a drink — is a versatile alternative. It mixes into hot or cold drinks, smoothies or porridge, so you can fit the daily dose into whatever you're already having.

Kollo's Premium Liquid Marine Collagen sachets and Marine Collagen Powder both deliver 10,000mg of Naticol® marine collagen peptides per serving — the dose used in clinical research, in whichever format works best for your routine.

The benefits of taking collagen supplements during menopause

Collagen plays a role in skin elasticity, joint comfort, hair condition and bone health — all of which can be affected during the menopause transition. Here's what the research says about each.

Skin elasticity and hydration

It's common during menopause to notice changes in skin — reduced firmness, dryness, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This is because the skin contains a high proportion of collagen, and the menopausal drop in oestrogen accelerates collagen loss. Multiple clinical studies have shown that consistent daily supplementation with Type I marine collagen peptides may support skin elasticity, hydration and the appearance of fine lines over 8 to 12 weeks. Many Kollo customers report noticing changes in skin feel within the first few weeks of consistent use, with the most significant improvements typically aligning with the clinical research timeline.

Aching joints and muscles

Our tendons, ligaments and cartilage require collagen to stay healthy. As perimenopause accelerates the decline in collagen levels — driven by reduced oestrogen rather than simple ageing — your joints can suffer. This can cause stiffness, swelling and general discomfort, quickly making you feel older than you are. Collagen is a key structural protein in joint tissues, and emerging research suggests that supplementation may support joint comfort and mobility. By helping to support your collagen levels, Kollo could help you feel more mobile and able to keep active.

Hair condition

Many women find that hair condition changes during menopause — hair may feel more brittle, with less shine, or shed more than before. Many Kollo customers report improvements in hair condition with consistent supplementation.

Hair follicles are embedded in a collagen-rich dermal environment. As collagen levels decline, the structural support around follicles weakens — contributing to finer, slower-growing hair with increased breakage. Collagen peptides provide the amino acid building blocks, particularly glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, that support follicle integrity and the production of keratin — the primary protein in hair. Many people report that hair shedding reduces and growth improves noticeably within 8–12 weeks of consistent supplementation.

Bone density

Alongside the drop in collagen, falling oestrogen during menopause contributes to a decline in bone density. This is one of the reasons post-menopausal women are at higher risk of osteoporosis. Combined with reduced collagen production, recovery from minor knocks and breaks can also take longer.

Bone is approximately 35% collagen by weight. The organic collagen matrix provides the scaffolding onto which calcium and phosphate minerals are deposited to create the hard, mineralised structure of bone. Without an adequate collagen matrix, minerals cannot integrate effectively — which is why collagen supplementation, alongside adequate calcium and vitamin D, is increasingly recognised as an important component of long-term bone health strategy, particularly for post-menopausal women.

Weight gain

Some women find that weight management becomes harder during the menopause transition due to fluctuating hormones and metabolic changes. Adequate protein intake helps with satiety and fullness. Including enough protein in your diet — which can include a collagen supplement — may support healthy weight maintenance during perimenopause when metabolic changes can make weight management more challenging.

How long does it take to feel the benefits of collagen supplements?

Many Kollo customers report noticing changes within five weeks of starting daily supplementation — particularly in skin hydration and nail strength. That said, individual responses vary, and you should allow up to 12 weeks for skin outcomes to align with the clinical research timeline. The research consistently shows that consistency matters more than anything — daily supplementation, every day, over months — so the longer-term picture is what builds the biggest changes.

Kollo Health collagen and menopause support

When we created Kollo Premium Liquid Marine Collagen, we took the realities of women going through menopause into account. The aim was to deliver a supplement that's easy to fit into a daily routine and that uses the dose actually used in published clinical research.

Each daily sachet contains 10,000mg of Naticol® marine collagen — a patented, clinically studied marine collagen ingredient — alongside vitamin C and a B vitamin complex (B1, B5, B6, B12) and l-lysine. For women navigating menopause who want additional support for hormonal balance, energy and sleep alongside marine collagen, our Kollo Balance+ formula combines 12 active ingredients including KSM-66 ashwagandha, lion's mane and red clover in one daily sachet.

What Kollo customers say

Many of our customers share their experiences with Kollo during the menopausal years. A few examples:

Frequently Asked Questions