It was reported some time ago here that caffeine (topical) can stimulate hair growth. We recently received this email testimonial from one of our female readers.
comments: “I have had thin hair for most of my life, exerienced rejvination in Switzerland using a Caffein shampoo made in Germna, and a great salon stylist. I returned back to MI, went to my local salon for a “touch-up and trim” (after my best friend - who rarely gives compliments said how great my hair was looking!). The stylist at home, when I went for the touch up - a full coloring and it did not cover my new grays at all - used Redken, I woke up the next day with frizzy mess…when I returned to Switzerland, to my horror I saw in photos new pix of my hair, totally bald on my part line…I am thickening back they say, new growth is already coming in. But wow! Using Loreal for the coloring from my “Swiss experts” and Loreal conditioning- my hair is again very shiny and healthy but what happened?! I have been using the ffeiene shampoo for nealry two yrs and thickened up nicely… Thanks for nay advice.”
Follicular penetration of topically applied caffeine via a shampoo formulation.
Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2007;20(4):195-8
AIMS:
Follicular drug delivery is the prerequisite for an effective treatment of androgenetic alopecia or other reasons of premature hair loss.
METHODS:
The follicular penetration of caffeine, applied topically in a shampoo formulation for 2 min, was measured with highly sensitive surface ionization in combination with mass spectroscopy, a selective method for the detection of very small quantities of transcutaneously absorbed substances in the blood. An experimental protocol, developed to selectively block the follicular pathway within the test area, was used. Based on this principle, a clear distinction between interfollicular and follicular penetration of topically applied caffeine was feasible.
RESULTS:
After 2 min, caffeine penetrated via the hair follicles and stratum corneum.
CONCLUSION:
It was found that the penetration via hair follicles was faster and higher compared with the interfollicular route and that hair follicles are the only pathway for fast caffeine absorption during the first 20 min after application
» It was reported some time ago here that caffeine (topical) can stimulate
» hair growth. We recently received this email testimonial from one of our
» female readers.
»
» comments: “I have had thin hair for most of my life, exerienced
» rejvination in Switzerland using a Caffein shampoo made in Germna, and a
» great salon stylist. I returned back to MI, went to my local salon for a
» “touch-up and trim” (after my best friend - who rarely gives compliments
» said how great my hair was looking!). The stylist at home, when I went for
» the touch up - a full coloring and it did not cover my new grays at all -
» used Redken, I woke up the next day with frizzy mess…when I returned to
» Switzerland, to my horror I saw in photos new pix of my hair, totally bald
» on my part line…I am thickening back they say, new growth is already
» coming in. But wow! Using Loreal for the coloring from my “Swiss experts”
» and Loreal conditioning- my hair is again very shiny and healthy but what
» happened?! I have been using the ffeiene shampoo for nealry two yrs and
» thickened up nicely… Thanks for nay advice.”
Effect of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro.
Int J Dermatol. 2007 Jan;46(1):27-35
BACKGROUND:
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common problem in men of all ages, affecting approximately 50% at 50 years of age. The underlying cause is an androgen-dependent miniaturization of genetically predetermined hair follicles. Here, the hair organ culture model was used to investigate the effects of testosterone and caffeine; the latter being a promising candidate for hair growth stimulation.
METHODS:
Hair follicles from 14 biopsies, taken from the vertex areas from male AGA patients, were cultivated for 120-192 h in vitro with normal William’s E medium (control) or William’s E medium containing different concentrations of testosterone and/or caffeine. Hair shaft elongation was measured daily and at the end of cultivation, cryosections of follicles were stained with Ki-67 to evaluate the degree and localization of keratinocyte proliferation.
RESULTS:
Significant growth suppression was found in hair follicles treated with 5 microg/ml testosterone. This was counteracted by caffeine in concentrations of 0.001% and 0.005%. Moreover, caffeine alone led to a significant stimulation of hair follicle growth. These results were confirmed immunohistochemically by Ki-67 staining.
CONCLUSIONS:
Androgen-dependent growth inhibition of ex vivo hair follicles from patients suffering from AGA was present in the human hair organ culture model, a constellation which may serve for future studies to screen new substances against androgen-dependent hair loss. Caffeine was identified as a stimulator of human hair growth in vitro; a fact which may have important clinical impact in the management of AGA.