This collagen scalp treatment boosted my ultra-fine hair

Collagen is a wonder ingredient but could it be the key to strengthening my super fine hair?

Emilie Lavinia
Fitness and wellbeing editor
Friday 18 October 2024 10:57 EDT
I tried the viral leave-in hair treatment to see if the added collagen could work wonders
I tried the viral leave-in hair treatment to see if the added collagen could work wonders (The Independent / Emilie Lavinia)

When I first came across hair oiling it was because a friend had created her own formula based on her family’s traditional south Asian beauty recipe. She’d been struggling with alopecia for years and wanted to treat her hair loss with something natural – and it really worked. When she recommended I try the oil for myself because I’d complained about having very fine hair that broke easily (despite having a lot of it) I was keen. That was the start of what’s now a weekly hair ritual for me.

I usually oil my hair once a week and I’ve noticed that my hair is thicker and I have fewer breakages. However, having spoken to a trichologist who assessed my scalp health, she told me that I should actually be doing my hair ritual slightly differently.

Scalp specialist Izabella Bordignon said I could do a better job of preventing breakage and encouraging new growth, thicker hair and a happier scalp by oiling and then washing my hair twice a week. Bordignon recommended I use products that contain circulation-boosting and antioxidant ingredients, so I decided to try this new protocol with a hair oil that I’d seen doing the rounds on social media: the Color Wow youth juice collagen scalp treatment.

Scalp health isn’t something I’d ever given that much thought to but according to Bordignon, a lot of our hair issues stem from the health of the scalp. Our scalp help can be affected by pollution, hard water, dead skin build-up, ageing and certain products. These factors can affect how well our hair grows, the strength of the strands and how prone they are to breakage.

How I tested

I tested the scalp treatment from Color Wow for a month to see if it could strengthen my hair
I tested the scalp treatment from Color Wow for a month to see if it could strengthen my hair (Emilie Lavinia)

The youth juice treatment was specifically created for those with thinning or brittle hair. It works by purifying and nourishing the scalp with active ingredients, boosting healthy cell growth and in turn, producing healthier stronger locks. So I committed to applying the product to my scalp three times a week, coupled with a head massage and a hair wash for a month and these were the results.

Color Wow youth juice collagen scalp treatment

colour wow collagen scalp treatment
  • Why we love it
    • Non greasy
    • Great scent
    • Easy to wash out
    • Easy to apply
  • Take note
    • High price point

First impressions

My first impressions were pretty good. Unlike other hair oils, the consistency is thicker – more like a serum than an oil – so it doesn’t dribble everywhere, nor is it super greasy. It also has a pleasant barely there but clean smell which reminded me of the scent of a dentist’s office or a skin clinic. I personally love it, but it might just be a me thing.

The bottle is gorgeous with an iridescent shine, so it’s no surprise that it’s beloved on social media – it’s prime #bathroomshelfie material. But it was the formula itself that I was most interested in.

Formula

There are three hero ingredients in this blend. The first is pycnogenol, which is derived from tree bark. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasoactive properties, it’s typically used to treat venous and joint issues and it inhibits the breakdown of collagen, so the theory is it should prevent collagen loss from the skin on your scalp. It’s also intended to aid blood flow and aid hair growth, while also encouraging healthy cells and eliminating damage from free radicals.

All sounds good so far. However, I’ve never come across a hair or scalp treatment that uses pycnogenol in this way (usually you take it orally as a supplement) so I was curious to see whether it could make an impact.

It also contains procapil, which is widely used as an antidote to hair loss, particularly for those who suffer from alopecia or postpartum hair issues. I don’t lose that much hair on average but I do worry about this changing when I hit perimenopause. It’s a blend of oleanolic acid extracted from olive tree leaves, apigenin which is a bioflavonoid found in citrus fruits and biotinyl-GHK (a vitamin-derived peptide). It naturally boosts collagen production, improves circulation and (hair nerds will love this bit) inhibits dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by suppressing the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. Essentially, this process prevents hair follicles from growing smaller.

The last wonder ingredient is amla, also known as the Indian gooseberry. It’s a powerful antioxidant that provides plenty of hydration. Ideal if you suffer from a flaky or dry scalp or any inflammation or irritation. I personally find that if I wear my hair up for too long it can start to make my head feel sore and in the winter months my skin is drier in general, so oiling really helps with that.

Application

The directions say to apply one to three droppers full of the solution to your hairline and natural parting, but I used about four droppers in each application. Applying to dry hair, I distributed the mixture evenly across my hairline and scalp, massaging it in. I’ve been told that massaging can stimulate the hair follicles and provide better circulation, so whether you’re oiling your head or not, it’s worth doing regularly.

I left the treatment to work its magic. It’s a leave-in solution, so unlike how other hair oils make your hair greasy, this one didn’t make it look too bad. I washed my hair the next day and waited for my next application. My routine involved doing the hair treatment every other day with the following day consisting of a hair wash, except on Sunday, when I left my hair alone.

Results

After the first week and a half, there were no signs of flakiness and my hair looked very shiny, which was a nice added bonus. By the third week, I noticed the baby hairs around my hairline looked a little stronger and healthier and by week four I was really feeling my hair.

Back to top

The verdict: Color Wow collagen scalp treatment

I wouldn’t usually treat and wash my hair as much as it did during the testing month but it definitely benefitted from the new routine and felt shinier and healthier. The only drawback might be that I got through about two-thirds of the bottle of Color Wow treatment if you’re doing this every month, at £44 for a bottle, the cost might set you back a little.

However, on the whole, my hair definitely loved the VIP treatment and it’s something I’ll aim to keep up at least twice a week. Usually, I take my collagen-boosting ingredients as part of my diet or in supplement or powder form but working them into my haircare routine is something I’ll be sticking with from here on out.

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Read more: The daily habits that are damaging your hair and how to avoid them

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