Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Hair Loss and the Suggested Mechanisms

Abstract

Hair loss may not be recognized as a life-threatening disorder. However, it has a great harm on a person's self-respect, mental health, and entirety quality of life. Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss, which affects a great number of both men and women. Alopecia can be treated with various hair loss strategies, including hair transplant, cosmetics and medication. Medical treatment shows the outstanding ability in improving hair growth. Plenty of drugs prevent alopecia by inhibiting the secretion of male hormone. But these medicines exhibit some undesirable side effects. Since hair loss requires a long-term treatment, and minimizing adverse side effects is extremely urgent in drug development. Accordingly, new agents are obtained from natural products with less adverse effects. Traditional Chinese medicines exhibit unique advantages in hair loss treatment. This review generalizes and analyzes the recent progress of medicinal plants for the treatment of hair loss, suggested mechanisms and outlines a number of trials taken or underway to optimize the treatment.

Anti-Inflammatory, Thrombolytic and Hair-Growth Promoting Activity of the n-Hexane Fraction of the Methanol Extract of Leea indica Leaves

“…This includes β-sitosterol, which is already known to inhibit 5α-reductase and lower dihydrotestosterone levels associated with balding scalp skin in AGA [36,48,49]. Although our study was not pursued beyond 21 days (topical treatments for alopecia are used for several months), our results contribute to advancing knowledge in the field of plants/herbal medicines as potential hair-growth promoters [50,51] and suggest that NFLI could be a natural alternative to current hair-loss treatments.…”

Fisetin Promotes Hair Growth by Augmenting TERT Expression

“…Various plant extracts and chemicals with hair-growth-stimulating effects have been reported. Although precise underlying mechanisms remain unknown, these extracts and chemicals are considered to elicit these effects by accelerating blood flow, inducing a shift from telogen to anagen, mediating activation of the dermal papilla, inhibiting dihydrotestosterone, and exerting anti-inflammatory effects ( Junlatat and Sripanidkulchai, 2014 ; Kim et al, 2014 ; Park et al, 2017 ; Shen et al, 2018 ; Zhang et al, 2019 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ). The hair follicle contains several different types of cells; among these, the dermal papilla cells are major components of hair that play a critical role in inducing anagen phase and maintaining hair growth.…”

“…Two well-known compounds, finasteride and minoxidil, are used to improve thin hair and alopecia. Finasteride, a synthetic 5-α-reductase inhibitor, is used to treat alopecia by suppressing male hormones, but is reported to cause sexual dysfunction (Shen et al, 2018). Minoxidil was originally used as an antihypertensive medication, but is now used as a topical formulation for promoting hair growth.…”

Hair Growth is Promoted in Mouse Dorsal Skin by a Mixture of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco Leaf Extract and Alpha-Terpineol by Increasing Growth Factors and wnt3/β-Catenin

“…10 To date, plenty of drugs, such as minoxidil, finasteride, fluridil, and cyproterone acetate, have been studied to either prevent or treat hair loss. 11 However, redness, irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, pruritus, scaling of the scalp (limited to the scalp), and chest pain are known to be common side effects of them. 12,13 Hair loss treatment takes a long time, and, therefore, it is necessary to develop medication with fewer side effects and using better formulation methods.…”

“…12,13 Hair loss treatment takes a long time, and, therefore, it is necessary to develop medication with fewer side effects and using better formulation methods. 11 Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco is an ever-green tree and an extract of its leaves has been used for hair growth promotion and hair loss inhibition. 14,15 The leaves have been reported to contain abietane, isopimarane, diterpenes, dihydrobenzofuran, neolignane, sesquiterpene glycosides, phenolic glycosides, 16 monoterpenes, such as thujone, cedrol, and isopimaric acid, diterpenes, including pinusolide, lambertianinc acid, hinokiol, and sandaracopimaric acid, glycosides (4-E-propenyl-phenol-1-O-βd-rutinoside and degalloylmacarangioside B), flavonoids (acacetin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, amentoflavone, and rutin), 17 and polyphenols (apigenin, myricetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and allopurinol).…”