Herbal Remedies for Hair Loss: A Review of Efficacy and Safety

Abstract

Background: Hair loss (HL) is a prevalent condition worldwide; it can affect both males and females of different age groups. Despite the availability of many conventional treatment options, these might be linked to causing different side effects, leading to a growing interest in natural and herbal remedies (HRs). This review aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of various HRs for HL and examine the current scientific evidence behind them.

Summary: A literature search used several studies to identify relevant studies published up to March 2024. The search terms included HL, alopecia, HRs, and names of specific herbs such as rosemary, saw palmetto, onion juice, Korean red ginseng, pumpkin seed oil, azelaic acid, olive oil, coconut oil, henna, honey, rice bran extract, Ashwagandha, and amla. Studies have suggested potential benefits in promoting hair growth and treating various forms of HL. These remedies were found to be effective in different conditions, including androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata, through various mechanisms of action, including 5α-reductase inhibition, increased microcapillary blood flow, antioxidant effects, and modulation of the hair growth signaling pathways.

Key messages: Natural and HRs show promise in treating HL. However, many of these studies have limitations such as lack of long-term follow-up, small sample sizes, and short treatment durations. Due to this variation in the quality of evidence, further well-designed randomized trials with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the efficacy of these HRs.

Keywords: Alopecia areata; Amla; Androgenic alopecia; Ashwagandha; Azelaic acid; Coconut oil; Efficacy; Hair loss; Henna; Herbal remedies; Honey; Korean red ginseng; Olive oil; Onion juice; Pumpkin seed oil; Rice bran extract; Rosemary; Saw palmetto.