What Happens to Collagen as You Age?
Reviewed by Sonia, Pharmacologist · Last checked 16 October 2026
Short answer: as you get older, your skin slowly makes less collagen. Sun exposure and smoking add to this, and skin collagen keeps falling in the years after menopause. Skin becomes thinner, drier and less springy, and lines show more. That's a normal part of ageing, not a "collagen deficiency".
What collagen does
Collagen is the main structural protein in your skin. It forms a mesh of fibres in the dermis, the layer under the surface, that gives skin its strength and firmness. Your body makes it constantly from amino acids, and it needs vitamin C to do it.
How skin changes as collagen falls
These are the changes most people notice with age. They come on gradually, and when and how much varies from person to person.
| What you may notice | What's happening underneath |
|---|---|
| Fine lines, then deeper lines | Older skin makes less new collagen. In one lab study, skin cells from people over 80 made about a third less than cells from people aged 18 to 29 (Varani et al., 2006) |
| Skin that's thinner and less springy | Less collagen and elastin in the dermis |
| Drier skin | Skin holds less water with age |
| Changes continuing after menopause | Skin collagen and skin thickness keep falling after menopause, by about 1–2% a year in one study (Brincat et al., 1987) |
| More change on the face, neck and hands than elsewhere | Sun is the main outside cause of skin ageing, on top of ageing with time (Fisher et al., 2002) |
Is "low collagen" a deficiency?
Not usually. There's no everyday test for "low collagen", and the changes above are what ageing skin does.
A few rare inherited conditions affect how the body makes collagen, such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. A doctor diagnoses them; you can't tell from your skin. Severe lack of vitamin C over months causes scurvy, which is rare in the UK.
If something about your skin, joints or healing worries you, talk to your GP. A supplement isn't the answer to a medical question.
What's in your control
- Protect your skin from the sun. UV light from the sun is the main outside cause of skin ageing. Use SPF 30 or higher and cover up in strong sun (NHS: sunscreen and sun safety).
- Don't smoke. Smoking speeds up collagen breakdown in the skin.
- Get enough vitamin C. Your body can't build stable collagen without it (Pullar et al., 2017). Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin (GB nutrition and health claims register). Fruit and vegetables are the best sources
- Eat enough protein. Collagen is built from amino acids, which come from the protein you eat.
- Sleep and look after yourself generally. Skin reflects your overall health.
Where our powders fit
We make two vegan powders. Both give you vitamin C from whole fruit, and vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
- Vegan Collagen Luxe: 1,500 mg of Vollagen® per scoop, an amino acid complex that matches the make-up of human collagen, with camu camu, strawberry, raspberry and baobab. About 26–49 mg of vitamin C per scoop.
- Vegan Collagen Booster: nine whole-food plants, with about 42–81 mg of vitamin C per scoop.
They're food supplements, not a treatment, and they don't replace sun protection or a varied, balanced diet.
Questions
At what age does collagen start to fall? Gradually from early adulthood. Most people notice the changes in their skin from their 30s and 40s, and more after menopause.
What are the signs of low collagen in women? The same as for anyone: finer lines, thinner and less springy skin, and dryness. For many women the changes show more after menopause, as oestrogen falls. These are normal ageing, not a deficiency. Talk to your GP if anything worries you.
Can you test your collagen level? There's no routine test. Doctors test for specific conditions when they suspect one.
Does taking collagen put it back? No supplement can promise that. Animal collagen research is mixed, and plant formulas have less research behind them. We set out the evidence honestly in Does vegan collagen work?
