Myth and Facts of Natural Remedies for Hair Loss – is there any clinical evidence??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onions

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Weak

·         No of clinical studies: 1

·         A clinical study designed to test the effectiveness of topical crude onion juice in the treatment of patchy hair loss in comparison with tap water showed significantly better re-growth of hair after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice vs. tap water. The onion juice was rubbed on the head twice daily for two months.  The treatment was more effective in men vs. women.  Crude onion juice could be an effective topical therapy for patchy hair loss.[1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essential oils (thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood)

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Moderate

·         No of clinical studies: 1

·         A 7-month study investigated use of aromatherapy oils in the treatment of hair loss. Effect of daily scalp massaging with essential oils (thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood) vs other oils (jojoba and grapeseed) was tested. Hair loss was significantly reduced with the essential oils; thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood compared with jojoba and grapeseed.  Essential oils; thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood are useful for reducing hair loss and stimulating re-growth when massaged in the scalp[2]

Washing hair 1-2 times a week

·         Evidence? Could not find any clinical study

·         No clinical evidence for or against washing hair less frequently prevents hair loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tea tree oil

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Weak

·         No of clinical studies: 1

·         Tea tree oil + minoxidil is significantly better than minoxidil alone for achieving hair re-growth.  Tea tree oil can be added to minoxidil to achieve better hair re-growth results.[3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coconut oil

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Strong

·         No of clinical studies: Multiple (reviewed)[4]

·         Coconut oil (CNO) treatments prevent combing damage and can promote hair growth.

·         Coconut oil is the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.

·         Both sunflower and mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss from hair.

 

Vitamins

·         Evidence? Yes

·         Strength: Moderate

·         No of clinical studies: 3

·         Vitamin B6 injected daily can improve hair condition and reduce hair loss[5]

·         Biotin may improve hair growth, especially when combined with Niacin[6]^,[7]

·         Some clinical evidence for vitamins for hair loss

Choline supplement

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Moderate

·         No of clinical studies: 1

·         In sun-damaged skin, 10 mg of daily supplements containing choline protected the facial skin against dryness and made both hair and nails significantly less brittle .[8]

Vitamin D/calcium supplements

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Moderate

·         No of clinical studies: 1

·         Vitamin D deficiency is common in people experiencing hair loss

·         Topical application of Vit D/calcium complex has shown reductions in hair loss[9]

·         Calcium supplements of 100 mg twice a day had no effect on hair loss.⁵

Priorin®: Supplement composed of millet seed extract, cysteine and calcium pantothenate

·         Evidence? YES

·         Strength: Moderate

·         No of clinical studies: 2 (1 per supplement)

·         Improved hair follicle growth[10]

Caffeine

·         Evidence? No

·         Strength: Very weak

·         No of clinical studies: None

·         No evidence for caffeine for or against promoting hair growth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

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[1]Sharquie KE, Al-Obaidi HK. Onion juice (Allium cepa L.), a new topical treatment for alopecia areata. J Dermatol. 2002 Jun;29(6):343-6.

[2] Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol. 1998 Nov;134(11):1349-52.

[3] Sakr FM, Gado AM, Mohammed HR, Adam AN. Preparation and evaluation of a multimodal minoxidil microemulsion versus minoxidil alone in the treatment of androgenic alopecia of mixed etiology: a pilot study. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2013 May 30;7:413-23.

[4] Rele AS1, Mohile RB. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. J Cosmet Sci. 2003 Mar-Apr;54(2):175-92.

[5] Brzezińska-Wcisło L. [Evaluation of vitamin B6 and calcium pantothenate effectiveness on hair growth from clinical and trichographic aspects for treatment of diffuse alopecia in women]. Wiad Lek. 2001;54(1-2):11-8.

[6] Draelos ZD, Jacobson EL, Kim H et al. (2005) A pilot study evaluating the efficacy of topically applied niacin derivatives for treatment of female pattern alopecia. J Cosmet Dermatol 4(4):258-261

[7] Prager N, Bickett K, French N et al. (2002) A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. J Altern Complement Med 8(2):143-152

[8] Barel A, et al. Effect of oral intake of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid on skin, nails and hair in women with photodamaged skin. Arch Dermatol Res. 2005 Oct;297(4):147-53.  

[9] Kim DH, et al. Successful treatment of alopecia areata with topical calcipotriol. Ann Dermatol. 2012 Aug;24(3):341-4.

[10] Gehring W, Gloor M (2000) Use of the phototrichogram to assess the stimulation of hair growth - An in vitro study of women with androgenetic alopecia. Z Hautkr 75(7-8):419-423