Here you will get a compact overview of why collagen comes up so often during the menopause and what changes you can typically notice when collagen production decreases. You will find out how hormonal changes affect collagen synthesis and what visible and noticeable changes this triggers in your skin, hair and joints.
Overview: Why collagen is important during the menopause
During the menopause, your oestrogen levels drop dramatically and with them the activity of fibroblasts, which are responsible for collagen production in your skin. At the same time, the density and firmness of your connective tissue decreases, resulting in thinner, less elastic skin. Collagen is also the load-bearing structural protein in joint cartilage and tendons, and many women notice more stiffness in this phase. A protein-rich diet supplies the amino acids the body uses to build its connective tissue.¹
Hormonal changes and their effects on collagen
With the onset of menopause, your oestrogen levels fall; according to a review, skin collagen content can decrease by up to 30 % in the first five years afterwards ³. Oestrogen is involved in building and remodelling collagen. According to a review, oestrogen contributes to skin moisture and possibly to the barrier function of the outer skin layer.²
Typical symptoms of collagen loss during the menopause
If you notice that your skin becomes drier and more wrinkles appear, this reflects the progressive breakdown of collagen. Many women also report joint stiffness, knee pain or back pain during this phase. Hair and nails are made of keratin rather than collagen, and many women notice changes in them during this phase as well. These signs are not only of a cosmetic nature, but often also affect your general well-being and quality of life.
Collagen and skin ageing during the menopause
When you reach the menopause, you not only notice hormonal fluctuations, but also significant changes in your skin. Collagen plays a key role in this, as it is the building block that gives your skin structure, elasticity and moisture. In the following sections, you will find out how the lack of oestrogen affects your skin structure and what studies in this phase have measured on skin hydration and skin elasticity.
The influence of oestrogen deficiency on skin structure
During the menopause, your oestrogen levels fall; in the dermis, oestrogen acts on fibroblasts, among other cells, whose activity declines with age³. These cells are responsible for producing new collagen fibers. In skin biopsies from postmenopausal women, the proportion of type I and type III collagen was significantly lower than in premenopausal women; the authors interpret this decrease as oestrogen-related⁴. One study measured skin collagen content and skin thickness in postmenopausal women and found that both declined by about 1–2% per year after the menopause⁵.
Reduced collagen production in the dermis
You can imagine that your dermis - the middle layer of skin - contains less “filling material” without enough collagen. This is noticeable through a decrease in elasticity and more dryness lines, especially around the eyes and mouth.
Increase in wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity
When collagen production stops, your skin loses its typical resilience. The result is permanent wrinkles that dig deep into your skin's relief and diminish its youthful radiance.
Clinical studies on collagen and skin
Studies have examined how taking hydrolysed collagen orally affects the skin during the menopause. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, participants took a supplement containing hydrolysed collagen and vitamin C for twelve weeks. The result: after 12 weeks, measured skin hydration was 13.8% and an elasticity index (R2) 22.7% higher than in the placebo group⁶.
Duration and dosage of collagen preparations
Studies have mostly worked with a daily serving over at least 8–12 weeks rather than with single large doses. Glycine, proline and hydroxyproline together make up about 57% of the amino acids in collagen¹.
What studies measured on hydration and elasticity
Trials of this kind have run for around three months and recorded skin hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth at the start and at the end. Self-reports from participants were collected alongside those measurements.
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Collagen and bone health during the menopause
After the onset of menopause, your oestrogen levels drop dramatically, and this has far-reaching consequences not only for your skin, but also for your bone matrix. Alongside the mineral, collagen is one of the factors that bone strength depends on⁷. In bone, type I collagen is closely bound up with the mineral.
Relationship between collagen and bone matrix
Type I collagen makes up about 90% of the organic part of your bone matrix and serves as a scaffold for mineralization⁷. Collagen peptides supply the amino acids glycine and proline. Osteoblasts are the cells that build the bone matrix. In a cell and mouse study, a fish-skin collagen hydrolysate containing Gly-Pro-Hyp increased differentiation and matrix mineralisation in cultured osteoblasts⁸.
Role of collagen type I in bone formation
The collagen fibers provide a stable surface for calcium phosphate deposition. A study in ovariectomised mice examined how sheepskin collagen peptides affect bone mineral density and trabecular structure¹⁰.
Interaction with calcium and vitamin D
Vitamin D contributes to normal absorption and utilisation of calcium. A clinical study recorded bone mineral density in postmenopausal women over twelve months, with collagen peptides taken alongside calcium and vitamin D⁹.
Oestrogen deficiency and decrease in bone mineral density
Oestrogen normally protects your bones from excessive breakdown by inhibiting osteoclasts. If this hormone is missing, the balance between bone breakdown and bone formation shifts.
Increased risk of osteoporosis
Epidemiologically, the risk of osteoporosis rises markedly after the menopause. Besides mineral content, the quality of the collagen in the bone matrix, such as its cross-linking, also contributes to bone strength⁷.
What studies recorded about duration of intake
Osteoporosis is a disease and belongs in medical hands; food supplements are no substitute for that. One study that recorded collagen peptides and bone density used a daily intake of 5 g over twelve months¹¹.
Studies on collagen and bone density
Both animal and human studies have looked at collagen supplements in relation to bone structure.
Animal models and human clinical data
In OVX mice (after removal of the ovaries), a study recorded trabecular bone structure and bone mineral density following sheepskin collagen peptides¹⁰. Findings in animals do not transfer straightforwardly to people.
Recommended times of intake
In this study, 5 g of collagen peptides were taken daily together with 500 mg calcium and 400 IU vitamin D3; it did not compare times of intake⁹. What matters more than the timing is that the intake becomes routine.
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Practical recommendations for the menopause
Nutrition: protein and micronutrients
To provide your body with the building blocks for collagen synthesis, you should make sure you have a balanced intake of proteins and micronutrients.
Protein sources and amino acid profiles
Protein-rich foods supply amino acids including glycine and proline. Together with hydroxyproline, they make up 57 % of the amino acids in collagen¹. Around 20-30 g of protein per portion from these sources is a common everyday reference point; protein contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle mass and normal bones.
Vitamin C and micronutrients for collagen synthesis
Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation; biochemically it is needed to convert proline into hydroxyproline. Fruit and vegetables contribute significant amounts of vitamin C to the diet¹². Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissue, and zinc to normal DNA synthesis. Both are found in nuts and wholegrain products.
Dietary supplement: choosing the right collagen
If you want to supplement your diet, collagen supplements are a practical way of taking in a concentrated portion of collagen peptides.
Marine collagen vs. bovine collagen during the menopause
Marine collagen often has a particularly low molecular weight. Which source you choose depends on where you want the emphasis - the study data on skin or on bone.
Dosage and combination preparations
Skin studies have used 2.5-10 g of collagen hydrolysate a day for 8 to 24 weeks¹³. The Kollagen Institut daily serving is 5 g; the higher amounts used in studies correspond to two or three servings. In the studies, supplementation typically ran for 8-12 weeks.
Lifestyle factors for skin and bones
Alongside diet, exercise, stress management and sleep also play a central role during the menopause.
Exercise and weight training
Regular weight training, such as Joe Wicks' 20-minute program, places mechanical load on muscle, bone and connective tissue. In one study of healthy young men, collagen synthesis in tendon and muscle rose after a single bout of strenuous exercise¹⁴. Make sure you do exercises with moderate loads to protect your joints and at the same time provide mechanical stimuli for your connective tissue.
Stress management and sleep hygiene
Chronic stress raises cortisol. Techniques such as meditation, yoga or breathing exercises are commonly used to manage stress. Sleep is also part of the picture: growth hormone is released mainly during deep sleep. Research has examined this phase of the night in relation to skin and bone tissue.
Outlook and further research
Collagen research for menopausal women is currently experiencing a surge of innovation. Long-term data on collagen preparations specifically in postmenopausal women are still scarce. In parallel, products are coming onto the market that combine collagen peptides with hyaluronic acid, other peptides or plant antioxidants. Whether such combinations behave differently from collagen peptides alone is still being investigated.
At the same time, key questions remain unanswered: One study measured blood levels of hydroxyproline and collagen-typical peptides after a single serving of fish, porcine or bovine collagen hydrolysate¹⁵; how much absorption and utilisation differ from person to person is still open. It is also unclear whether different types of collagen - from pure type I to multi-collagen formulations - behave differently during the menopause. Answering these questions will shape the next chapter of collagen research and help you find the formula that's right for you.
Conclusion
During the menopause, your hormone balance changes profoundly, and with it the dynamics of your collagen. Diet, exercise and sleep shape everyday life in this phase; collagen peptides are one protein building block among several.
You have read that marine collagen has a particularly low molecular weight and has been used most often in skin studies, while studies on bone density and joints have mostly worked with bovine collagen. If you take collagen, you can pair it with a diet that supplies enough vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D. At the same time, you should attach great importance to vigorous training, stress reduction and restorative sleep.
If you transfer these findings step by step into your everyday life, you will make an active contribution to greater well-being and quality of life - even if your oestrogen levels drop. With diet, exercise and sleep you can build your own routine for the menopause.