Applying a daily serum that contains extracts of a tropical plant improved hair density and strand thickness in just 56 days
Researchers are investigating novel methods for hair regrowth, including the use of stem cells, manipulating fibroblasts – a type of cell that contributes to the formation of connective tissue – and drugs that seem to waken dormant hair follicles.
Looking for another approach, researchers at Schweitzer Biotech Company in Taiwan have developed a serum that includes caffeine – a common ingredient in hair loss-preventing shampoos – and two proteins that stimulate cell growth: insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7), which have shown promise for hair follicle regeneration. It also has extracts from Centella asiatica, a herbaceous tropical plant commonly used in skincare, which seems to promote hair follicle health.
To put it to the test, a team of international researchers recruited 60 adults, aged 18 to 60, who didn’t necessarily have substantial hair loss. They were divided into five groups, with the first receiving a placebo serum with no active ingredients and the second getting a base formulation of 0.1 per cent caffeine and vitamin B5, which has moisturising properties. The remaining groups all had this base formulation, but the third also had IGF-1 and FGF-7, the fourth also had C. asiatica extracts, and the fifth had all of these.
Read the full story: Serum based on plant extracts boosts hair growth in weeks
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