Collagen Powder For Wound Healing: How & Why It Works
Collagen powder for wound healing has become more and more popular at medical facilities in recent years. You might be wondering - isn’t collagen a beauty treatment? How can it heal wounds?
In this article, we’ll explain what collagen is, how collagen powder for wounds works, and the many ways it can be used by doctors. We will also dive into some other options for maximizing the healing benefits of collagen protein.
Before we get into the details of collagen powder for wounds, let’s talk about what collagen is and its role in the wound healing process.
What is collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is found in your skin, muscles, bones, organs, and more – and is the main structural protein that holds all your body’s systems together. You can think of it like the glue for all of your body’s tissues.
Collagen protein is what your body uses to create new tissues during the wound healing process. It acts as the framework for the repair process whenever you have a wound from injury or surgery.
How does collagen work during healing?
Collagen is vitally important during three of the four stages of the wound recovery process.
During the Inflammatory Stage, collagen starts breaking down and releases small pieces that attract important cells needed for healing. These cells help clean the wound and start forming new tissue.
During the Proliferative Stage, collagen helps in the growth of new cells that make up your new tissue fibers. It supports the creation of new skin and the building of a new tissue layer.
Lastly, during the Maturation Stage, the initial, weaker collagen is replaced with stronger, more durable collagen that strengthens the new tissue and helps to create more sturdy and smooth scar tissue.
As you can see, without collagen, your natural healing process simply couldn’t take place. It would then stand to reason that providing your body with extra collagen protein would help to speed up the wound healing process.
This is why doctors have started to use collagen powder for wounds.
Why collagen powder is used in wound care
Doctors have begun to use collagen powder for wounds for a number of reasons. These include the fact that:
Collagen is a natural component of your body
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body, making it a logical choice for supplementation in the healing process. The body is familiar with it, and using it naturally aligns with your body’s own repair processes.
Collagen has a low risk of reactions
Because collagen occurs naturally in your body, you don’t have to worry about it causing reactions. Your body already tolerates and uses collagen!
The only allergic reactions that can happen are from the source of the collagen – for example, if someone has a shellfish allergy and is treated with shellfish-derived collagen.
It is for that reason that bovine collagen is the most commonly used in collagen powder for wounds, and of course, doctors will check with you about any dietary allergies before prescribing collagen powder for wounds.
Collagen powder for wounds creates a good barrier
Applying collagen powder for wounds helps to create a barrier that keeps wounds moist and helps to absorb excess fluids, which are both important for healing.
It is a well-known fact that wounds heal faster covered than uncovered, and collagen powder for wounds can act as a sort of natural bandage or wound dressing.
This natural barrier can also protect your wound from infection – and doesn’t even need to be removed before reapplying more collagen.
You can use many collagen sources in healing
Collagen powder for wounds can come from cows, pigs, fish, shellfish, or even specially engineered plants and bacteria.
You don’t even have to use collagen in powder form. You can also find collagen sponges, gels, or supplements that work just as well as collagen powder for wounds.
Collagen has many healing benefits
There are many benefits of taking collagen beyond wound healing. It can also improve the health of your skin, hair, nails, digestive tracts, joints, and more!
For individuals with poor dietary intake or specific conditions that impair collagen production, taking supplements can provide an additional source of collagen. This is especially relevant in chronic illnesses that may impact collagen levels, or in elderly patients.
This is because our natural collagen production slows down each year after our mid-twenties, and as we get older, it is more and more common to have a collagen deficiency that can affect many areas of your body.
A regular collagen supplement can help!
Collagen is convenient
Collagen powder for wounds is super easy to incorporate into daily routines. You can also take a regular collagen supplement by mixing the powder into drinks or foods or taking a ready-to-go liquid collagen protein supplement.
This convenience can make collagen a practical option for those looking to enhance their healing process.
Collagen healing is backed by research
There is growing evidence supporting the benefits of collagen supplementation for wound healing, though the extent and mechanisms are still under research. Many studies suggest positive outcomes, but it’s always good to consult healthcare providers for personalized advice.
One study aimed to assess the efficacy of collagen powder for wound healing by evaluating both animal and human studies.
In animal studies, collagen supplementation showed promising results in enhancing wound healing. The improvements observed included accelerated wound closure, increased collagen deposition in the wound site, and improved tensile strength of the healed tissue.
These findings suggest that collagen may help in creating a more favorable environment for wound repair.
In human studies, the evidence was more mixed but generally supportive of collagen's benefits for wound healing. Some clinical trials indicated that collagen supplements might improve wound healing rates, reduce wound size, and enhance overall recovery.
Another study included randomized controlled trials that investigated the impact of collagen powder dressings on wound healing. It assessed various outcomes, including wound closure rates, time to wound healing, and other related parameters.
It was found that collagen had a significantly positive effect on wound healing compared to placebo or no treatment. Collagen supplementation was associated with faster wound closure and improved healing outcomes.
Overall, while collagen powder for wounds can play a supportive role in wound healing, it's often used as part of a broader approach that includes proper wound care, nutrition, and overall health management.
Now that you have some understanding of why collagen powder is used in healing, let’s look at how collagen powder for wounds is used.
How collagen powder for wounds is used
There are many ways that doctors use collagen in wound care. Because collagen has high absorbency, maintains a moist wound environment, and aids in the formation of granulation tissue, collagen powder is used for the management of both full and partial thickness wounds, including:
- Pressure ulcers (I-IV)
- Diabetic ulcers
- Mixed vascular ulcers
- Venous ulcers
- Cuts & abrasions
- Venous stasis ulcers
- Surgical wounds
- Open wound treatment
- First & second degree burns
As you can see, collagen powder for wounds is used for more than just surgical wounds, and remains popular for main healing treatments. So how does collagen in wound healing work? Let’s look into the details of collagen powder for wounds.
How collagen for wounds works
Here are some of the reasons doctors use collagen powder for wounds:
Collagen can support tissue repair
Collagen is a major structural protein in the skin and connective tissues. When used as a supplement or topical treatment, it provides the body with the necessary building blocks to repair damaged tissues.
In powder form, it can be ingested or applied directly to wounds, where it is believed to integrate into the healing process.
Collagen boosts your natural collagen production
Consuming collagen can stimulate the body's own collagen production. This is because collagen supplements often contain peptides that are absorbed into the bloodstream and act as signals to cells, encouraging them to produce more collagen.
This is particularly useful in the healing process, where increased collagen can help in forming new skin and tissue.
Collagen can reduce inflammation
Some studies suggest that collagen supplements might help reduce inflammation, which is a crucial aspect of wound healing. Lower inflammation can potentially lead to a faster and more efficient healing process.
Collagen can improve skin elasticity
For wounds that involve the skin, such as cuts or surgical incisions, increased collagen can improve skin elasticity and strength. This can lead to better healing outcomes and potentially minimize scarring.
Make the most of wound healing
If you want to heal as quickly as possible, it’s a good idea to use collagen powder for wounds AND to take an oral collagen supplement. This way you can attack the wound from two directions and make sure that your body has enough healing collagen in its bloodstream.
After all, collagen is more effective when taken as a supplement than when it is used topically.
That being said, you need to be careful what kind of supplements you are taking, especially if you are immuno-compromised and healing from a wound. This is because most supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA.
What does that mean?
It means that supplements can contain all sorts of harmful additives and companies that manufacture them don’t have to back up any of their claims.
To ensure you have a safe supplement that will help for wound healing, you want to look for two things – a hydrolyzed collagen supplement, and a medical-grade collagen supplement.
Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that has been broken down into smaller pieces so it is easier to digest. This is important, or else your supplement will simply go to waste when you take it.
As for medical-grade collagen supplements, these are special collagen supplements that ARE regulated by the FDA and are trusted by doctors for use in medical facilities across the country.
By using a medical-grade collagen supplement in conjunction with collagen powder for wounds, you will give your body the very best chance for swift wound healing.
