Scalp application of antioxidants improves scalp condition and reduces hair shedding in a 24‐week randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Increasing hair fullness is a global unmet need for many men and women. An approach to the problem is to decrease hair fall or shedding by reducing scalp stratum corneum oxidation and barrier damage to increase hair retention. This study evaluated a combination of functional antioxidants and barrier-enhancing cosmetic ingredients to improve scalp condition thereby enabling stronger hair anchorage and longer retention.Methods: Male and female subjects with normal scalp condition and self-perceived hair thinning participated in a 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical study assessing either a regimen of treatment shampoo and leaveon treatment containing functional antioxidant and barrier-enhancing agents or an identical placebo chassis shampoo control. The functional ingredients were piroctone olamine, zinc pyrithione, zinc carbonate, niacinamide, panthenol and caffeine. At baseline and after 8, 16 and 24 weeks of product use, several measurements were taken: hair shedding, total hair count (by phototrichogram), hair samples, TEWL and evaluation of biomarkers of scalp and hair conditions. Subjects also completed self-assessment questionnaires.Results: Statistically significant effects for functional ingredient-containing treatment regimen versus a placebo control shampoo formulation were observed for reduced hair shedding, increased total hair count, reduced TEWL and improvement in scalp biomarker values. Subjects also noticed these improvements assessed via self-assessment questionnaires.Conclusions: These results establish that the use of functional antioxidant and barrier-enhancing agents to further improve scalp condition can enable a reduction in hair shedding and thus an increase in perceived hair fullness. The underlying improvements in scalp condition suggest the hair benefits were achieved as a result of improved scalp skin barrier and scalp condition leading to a viable preventative approach for hair thinning.

Scalp application of the antioxidant piroctone olamine reduces hair shedding in an 8‐week randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical study

“…The study procedures are described in the companion manuscript [2] and are summarized here. Hair measurements were done at baseline and after 8 weeks of test formulation usage.…”

“…The previous 24-week study utilizing a combination of antioxidant technologies demonstrated significant differences between treatment and placebo groups at 8, 16 and 24 weeks [2]. This manuscript describes the results of a shorter placebo-controlled 8-week clinical study performed to evaluate one of those technologies, piroctone olamine, delivered either via a shampoo or a leave-on treatment for hair retention effectiveness.…”

“…Thus, we have undertaken clinical studies to evaluate practical cosmetic materials in a preventative strategy to diffuse hair loss. That strategy is based on the hypothesis that premature hair shedding is, in part, due to increase in scalp oxidative stress [2].…”

“…We have previously shown [2] that topical delivery of a mixture of materials with direct and indirect antioxidant activities can create a scalp environment that reduces premature hair loss. This is based on substantial observational and treatment data that relate a poor scalp condition to increased hair shedding and impaired normal pre-emergent hair maturation via oxidative stress [3].…”

“…The prior approach [2] employed an antioxidant and barrier-enhancing combination of zinc pyrithione (ZPT), zinc carbonate (ZC) and piroctone olamine (PO) in a shampoo in combination with a ZPT-containing leave-on treatment. Due to the demonstrated efficacy of this treatment regimen, we decided to investigate whether a singlecomponent technology containing PO alone would also demonstrate hair retention benefits via this cosmetic antioxidant approach.…”