Volume 16, Issue 4 p. 520-526
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION

Oral supplementation with specific bioactive collagen peptides improves nail growth and reduces symptoms of brittle nails

Doris Hexsel MD

Corresponding Author

Doris Hexsel MD

Brazilian Center for Studies in Dermatology, Porto Algre, Brazil

Correspondence

Dr. Doris Hexsel, Brazilian Center for Studies in Dermatology, Porto Algre, Brazil.

Email: [email protected]

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Vivian Zague PhD

Vivian Zague PhD

Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

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Michael Schunck PhD

Michael Schunck PhD

Collagen Research Institute (CRI), Kiel, Germany

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Carolina Siega BSc

Carolina Siega BSc

Brazilian Center for Studies in Dermatology, Porto Algre, Brazil

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Fernanda O Camozzato MD

Fernanda O Camozzato MD

Brazilian Center for Studies in Dermatology, Porto Algre, Brazil

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Steffen Oesser PhD

Steffen Oesser PhD

Collagen Research Institute (CRI), Kiel, Germany

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First published: 08 August 2017
Citations: 23

Summary

Background

Brittle nail syndrome is a common problem among women and refers to nails that exhibit surface roughness, raggedness, and peeling.

Aim

The goal of this study was to investigate whether daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides alleviates the symptoms of brittle nails and improves nail growth rate.

Methods

In this open-label, single-center trial, 25 participants took 2.5 g of specific bioactive collagen peptides (BCP, VERISOL®) once daily for 24 weeks followed by a 4-week off-therapy period. Nail growth rate and the frequency of cracked and/or chipped nails as well as an evaluation of symptoms and global clinical improvement score of brittle nails were assessed by a physician during treatment and 4 weeks after discontinuation.

Results

Bioactive collagen peptides treatment promoted an increase of 12% nail growth rate and a decrease of 42% in the frequency of broken nails. Additionally, 64% of participants achieved a global clinical improvement in brittle nails, and 88% of participants experienced an improvement 4 weeks post-treatment. The majority of participants (80%) agreed that the use of BCP improved their nails' appearance, and were completely satisfied with the performance of the treatment.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the daily ingestion of BCP increased nail growth and improved brittle nails in conjunction with a notable decrease in the frequency of broken nails.

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