Hair loss is something that many people will experience in their lives, and though some might be tempted to say, “it’s just hair”, it can have a profoundly negative impact on the people affected by it. As a result, science has long been searching for a way that hair loss can be treated – so what’s the latest in this area of research?
Hair loss, also known as alopecia, can have a whole host of
Losing hair can have all sorts of impacts on a person – it’s far from just a matter of aesthetics. A
Home remedies
DIY ways to regrow hair aren’t exactly a new thing, but the rise of social media platforms has seen all sorts of home remedies pushed into the limelight. But beyond anecdotal evidence given in a 60-second video, is there any scientific research that suggests they work?
Rosemary oil
You’d be hard-pressed not to come across the “rosemary oil” side of TikTok (and the #ad in the captions) if you spend enough time doomscrolling. Lots of those videos claim that the oil has helped them regrow lost hair, but there’s currently not enough research to completely back up those claims.
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Such studies help to assess the safety of a possible treatment before it’s used in humans, but equally, that means scientists can’t make any solid conclusions about rosemary oil’s efficacy in humans either.
One widely referenced
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Microneedling
Something that’s also often touted to help with hair loss, sometimes alongside rosemary oil, is microneedling. Is it worth sticking a bunch of tiny needles in your scalp? Recent review studies suggest that, while there appear to be some promising results, more (and higher quality) data is needed to support its use for stimulating hair regrowth.
For example, a
Another
If someone is still interested in microneedling, it’s generally
Clinical treatments
The first US approval of hair growth treatment came back in 1988 for
The first treatment for severe alopecia areata
First approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency back in
The approvals came after clinical trial data showed the drug to be more effective than a placebo at improving hair regrowth, and even a continued improved response for up to two years. The treatment is taken as a daily pill and according to the
MicroRNA could be promising
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However, again, it’s important to note that this study wasn’t carried out in humans. A lot more research is required to assess both efficacy and safety and gather data to the point sufficient for clinical approval.
“Because of the potential to deliver microRNA by nanoparticles directly into the skin, next we will test whether topically delivered miR-205 can stimulate hair growth first in mice,” corresponding author Rui Yi, the Paul E. Steiner Research Professor of Pathology and professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a
“If successful, we will design experiments to test whether this microRNA can promote hair growth potentially in humans.”
Cold capping
Many people who go through chemotherapy experience some degree of hair loss. Some healthcare services offer
The study found that cold capping might be more effective than previous literature has indicated, with a 92.1 percent success rate. The authors suggest that this could be down to wearing the cold cap properly and for the prescribed amount of time, as well as completing the cold capping process.
The researchers also found that the type of
However, the authors of the study acknowledge some limitations to their results. Along with having no control group, the sample of patients was small; consisted mostly of women undergoing breast cancer treatment; and participants were mostly white. As such, the findings might not be generalizable to all.
The overall picture
Though there are a multitude of apparent home remedies – and, hopefully, more clinically approved treatments to come soon – it’s first important to figure out the reasons for hair loss before jumping into a particular treatment.
“Hair loss is complex,” said dermatology specialist Dr Taylor Bullock, speaking to the Cleveland Clinic as part of the
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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.