ABOUT half of men and 40 per cent of women will experience some form of hair loss by the age of 50, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
But scientists have now developed a simple treatment in the form of a serum that could lead to visible improvements to growth in just eight weeks.
Researchers say the new treatment could offer an alternative to minoxidil and finasteride, which have been known to cause side effects
Participants who used the treatment experienced a 25 per cent increase in hair density in just eight weeks
The treatment combines proteins that stimulate with caffeine and an extract from the Centella asiatica plant.
Researchers from Schweitzer Biotech Company in Taiwan tested the formula on 60 adults and found those who used the blend experienced a 25 per cent increase in hair density.
After 56 days of daily use, participants were also found to have thicker hair, lower oil production, and significantly reduced .
Currently, minoxidil and finasteride are the main treatments for hair loss – particularly male pattern baldness.
While both are FDA-approved, they have been associated with depressed mood, , suicidal thoughts and sexual dysfunction .
The researchers say the plant-based treatment could be a viable alternative treatment that avoids these setbacks.
Centella asiatica is known for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties, and may play a key role in strengthening hair roots and improving scalp circulation.
The combination with IGF-1 and FGF-7 proteins, that stimulate follicle activity, appears to reactivate dormant follicles and encourage thicker growth.
To test out the serum, the researchers divided the 60 participants, aged between 18 and 60 with moderate levels of hair loss, into five groups.
Each were given a serum containing a different mixture of chemicals.
One group was given a placebo containing no active ingredients, while others were given a mixture of the serum’s ingredients.
The fifth group received a serum containing the full treatment.
Participants were then instructed to apply one millimetre of the serum to their scalp every night for two months.
The researchers then took measurements to track hair growth – including hair length, strand thickness, sebum levels and hair density.
All groups showed some improvements, but those using the active ingredients in the serum saw the most progression.
Those receiving the full treatment experienced the biggest benefits, as their hair thickness increased by 27.9 micrometres, compared to just 13.9 micrometres in the placebo group.
Their hair density also increased by 23.9 per cent, which was nearly double that of the placebo.
The new serum contains centella asiatica, a plant extract known for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties
Centella asiatica was also combined with caffeine and proteins that stimulate hair growth
In their paper which is currently awaiting peer review, the researchers wrote: “While topical minoxidil and finasteride remain the most widely used growth stimulants, they are known to cause rebound shedding upon discontinuation and side effects that impact quality of life.
“Therefore, combining growth factor with plant-derived EVs [extracellular vesicles] may offer a multi-targeted approach to scalp care.”
The most promising treatment was also the only one that contained Centella asiatica, which suggests the plant is a key.
Dr Christos Tziotzios, a dermatologist from King’s College London, told New Scientist : “This plant has been used for anti–ageing and restorative, anti–inflammatory uses. So it’s a bit of a miracle plant, supposedly.“
The researchers did caution their study is small and was carried out over a short period.
They added further studies are needed to see what happens when the treatment is used more frequently.
Dr Tziotzios added: ‘That doesn’t mean it’s not a potentially interesting thing to look at, but it does need further work obviously.”
Everything you need to know about hair loss and thinning
Anabel Kingsley, Brand President and Lead Trichologist at Phillip Kingsley , spoke to exclusively.
How many people experience it?
Hair thinning (aka female/male pattern hair loss) and hair shedding (aka telogen effluvium) are incredibly common. Telogen Effluvium probably impacts everyone at some point in their lifetime, while it’s estimated pattern hair loss affects 50% of men by age 50, and 40% of women by aged 50. However, everyone’s hair changes and loses some diameter with age.
Why does it happen?
Female and male pattern hair loss are largely genetic. It occurs when hair follicles on the scalp slowly miniaturize and start to progressively produce shorter and then finer hairs. In men, it is caused by a sensitivity of hair follicles to testosterone/ dihydrotesterone (DHT). This can also be the case with women but isn’t always.
TE occurs in response of some sort of underlying imbalance or metabolic shift. As hair is non-essential tissue, your hair follicles are very sensitive to general health as your body gives hair last priority. When something is imbalanced, or you are unwell, more hairs than usual exit the growth (anagen) phase of the hair growth cycle, rest for 3 months (called telogen) and then shed.
Common triggers are rapid weight loss, low calorie diets, thyroid disorders, iron and ferritin (a protein that stores iron) deficiency, lack of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, certain medications, intense stress, stopping or starting an oral contraceptive pill and high fevers. Due to the length of telogen, telogen effluvium doesn’t occur right after the causative event – it happens anywhere from 2-4 months later.
How much hair can someone be expected to lose?
With TE, you can lose up to 3x your ‘normal’ amount each day. It’s normal to lose up to 150 hairs per day, and with TE you may see between 300-400. Up to 50% of hair can be lost with shedding, but the good news is that it’s temporary and hairs should grow back as before once the underlying cause is addressed. With pattern hair, it depends.
Men can go almost completely bald, whereas women usually experience a more spread-out loss of hair over the top of their scalp. As pattern hair loss is progressive, early treatment is so important as this allows you to maintain as much hair density as possible.
