Click through to see articles on recent ingredient research and patents for new products to address hair loss.
A team based in China has found that a concoction of capsaicin, piperine, and curcumin compounds was as effective as minoxidil in treating alopecia areata.
Researchers from the Shanghai General Hospital’s department of dermatology and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of medicine studied the efficacy of a treatment containing capsaicin, curcumin, and piperine against minoxidil, a conventional treatment for alopecia areata.
Capsaicin, curcumin, and piperine are compounds derived from chilli peppers, turmeric and black pepper respectively.
Alopecia areata is a common condition that accounts for 25% of hair loss in patients and can occur at a range of ages. It is usually characterised as a single or several round, oval or irregular hair loss areas.
International beauty major L’Oréal has developed a method to identify the molecular signature of a person’s scalp in a common alopecic state, enabling prognosis and diagnosis, along with the development of efficacious cosmetic treatments for such hair loss.
Writing in its international patent, L’Oréal said it had developed a method for the in vitro prognosis and/or diagnosis of a “common alopecic state of the scalp” by measuring the expression level of very specific genes* involved in the intercellular junctions of the scalp and/or hair follicle.
It also outlined an in vitro method to evaluate the efficacy of treating a common alopecic state, including testing cosmetic treatments like hair lotions, gels, shampoos and conditioners made using gene modulators and certain active compounds.
L’Oréal said the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment methods specifically related to common alopecia caused by disruptions of the hair cycle, as opposed to immune alopecias like alopecia areata or spot baldness, alopecia universalis and alopecia totalis.
Amid the heightened discussion surrounding alopecia, Advanced Trichology says it is the first consumer brand to get the green light from the hair loss group.
The American Hair Loss Association recently accepted Advanced Trichology’s collection of nutraceutical products for hair loss, hair growth, and scalp health as a Trusted Brand. According to Advanced Trichology, it’s the association’s first nutraceutical and non-minoxidil topical formula approval.
Founded by certified trichologist William Gaunitz, FWTS, Advanced Trichology’s goal is to normalize and increase the conversation surrounding hair loss.
“Advanced Trichology’s nutraceutical line is the first and only nutraceutical line ever approved by the American Hair Loss Association because of its 20 years of clinical efficacy, the company’s commitment to client satisfaction, transparency of manufacturing and dedication to purity standards. No other line had ever compiled the necessary qualifications to meet the standards of the American Hair Loss Association,” Gaunitz said.
Coffee can give the energy of a younger person, and it might just do the same for skin and hair.
A recent study published in Cosmetics, written by Nisakorn Saewan out of Thailand, sought to define the mechanisms by which coffee berry extract may work as a skin anti-aging and anti-hair loss active ingredient.
While Saewan notes that previous research has explored the impacts of coffee extract and there are cosmetics on the market containing the ingredient, research is light on the specific effects of the extract’s two main compounds, caffeine and chlorogenic acid.
“Our findings confirmed that coffee berry extract has high potential to be used as an active ingredient for skin anti-aging, anti-hair loss and hair growth stimulation in not only skincare but also hair care product applications,” Saewan said.
The beauty industry has recently turned more attention to Black consumers and knowing the ins, outs and risks of the hairstyles used by them can guide R&D, product development and brand innovation.
Because Black people are underrepresented in the dermatology field, a research team out of the United States, Asbeck et al, compiled knowledge research and literature review on the health, social and personal impacts of several common styling techniques, so as to better serve the demographic.
Published in Cosmetics, according to Asbeck et al, the Black hair industry sits around a half-trillion dollars globally, and Black women spend more on hair than any other ethnic group. As such a large segment of the hair market, and one historically underrepresented in retail settings and R&D in the US, knowing about the styles used by these consumers can be beneficial to those creating products.
“Social and environmental pressures continue to influence what society views as beautiful and culturally acceptable,” Asbeck et al said. “There has been substantial debate and discussion regarding the association between certain hairstyles worn by Black women and their connection to hair disorders and other health conditions common to this population.”
