Inositol (in the form of myo-inositol or D-chiro-inositol) is found in many hair growth supplements. Clinical studies suggest inositol might normalize androgen levels in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). For these reasons, marketers often claim inositol can help regrow hair for those with … Read more
Japanese knotweed contains resveratrol and apigenin. In vitro studies suggest these compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. Marketers claim these compounds support hair regrowth. So can Japanese knotweed regrow hair? In this article, we review the scientific literature on Japanese knotweed: its safety, efficacy … Read more
Zinc is a popular trace element found in hair growth supplements. Animal studies suggest that zinc is required for healthy hair cycling. Human studies suggest that zinc deficiencies can cause hair loss from telogen effluvium. One study found that zinc sulfate might help with non-descript hair loss in women, though not nearly as much as 2% … Read more
What does the science say about pea sprout extract and its ability to combat hair loss? On the on hand, pea sprouts might improve hair growth by reducing non-growing hairs and increasing hair density. On the other hand, the studies supporting pea sprout extract face methodological concerns, such as small sample sizes, lack of placebo controls, … Read more
Temporary hair shedding is commonly reported after men & women start hair loss treatments like minoxidil. But is temporary hair shedding also normal when starting microneedling? On the one hand, microneedling induces acute inflammation. A little inflammation might benefit hair growth, while too much inflammation might accelerate hair loss. In … Read more
In a recent milestone, a drug called ritlecitinib (brand name Litfulo™) was approved for treating alopecia areata (AA) in adolescents and adults. But is there high quality evidence supporting ritlecitinib? What are the long-term safety risks? And if it works, does this (relatively) new medication require lifelong use to prevent relapses of … Read more
On average, people with androgenic alopecia lose 5% hair volume per year. However, this rate of progression is just an average; some people lose hair much faster. Those with rapidly-progressing hair loss face higher opportunity costs for treatment failures, and therefore have less opportunity to experiment with lesser-supported interventions. In … Read more
Amino acids are biomolecules and the building blocks of proteins. Marketers often misappropriate petri dish, animal, and small-scale human studies to suggest that the amino acids lysine, arginine, proline, & thiamine might help treat hair loss. But is this supported by clinical studies on humans with hair loss? … Read more
Petri dish (i.e., in vitro) studies suggest that turmeric and its active constituent, curcumin, might decrease cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB). Since these pathways and proteins share pathologic overlap with certain hair loss disorders, marketers often claim that … Read more
Pump BioGro™ is a topical product marketed by Pump Haircare. Its makers claim that Pump BioGro™ is clinically proven to reduce hair shedding and promote hair growth by inhibiting fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) – a growth factor that Pump Haircare suggests might negatively impact hair cycling. During our investigation, we could not find … Read more