Amino Acids Oral Treatment for the Amelioration of Skin, Hair, and Nails Conditions: An Open-Label Study

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effect of a food supplement in ameliorating the skin, hair, and nails conditions. An open-label study on 21 women with mild-to-moderate aging all over the face (including wrinkles/fine lines, loss of skin firmness/elasticity, and normal to dry skin), acute telogen effluvium, and brittle/fragile nails was conducted. Skin (moisturization, elasticity, profilometry, and skin thickness), hair (pull test and phototricogram), and nails (clinical analysis of nail plate status) parameters were measured at baseline, and after 28 and 84 days of intake. The clinical analysis carried out by a board-certified dermatologist and the self-evaluation integrated the instrumental measurements. After 28 (D28) and 84 (D84) days of product intake the skin moisturization (superficial moisturization: +6.0% at D28 and +9.2% at D84; deep moisturization: +4.2% at D28 and +7.6 at D84), elasticity (R0 parameter: -11.5% at D28 and -19.3% at D84; R2 parameter: +7.8% at D28 and +11.9 at D84), profilometry (wrinkle depth: -9.5% at D28 and -14.5% at D84; skin smoothness: -4.9% at D28 and -7.7% at D84) and thickness (+0.11 mm at D28 and +0.24 mm at D84) were improved. At D84 the density of telogen hair was reduced by 9.5%; while at day 28 pull test was not indicative for telogen effluvium. The nail status was improved in most of the enrolled subjects. The instrumental measured effects were perceived by both the dermatologist and the enrolled subjects. Our results highlight the test product efficacy in improving the skin, hair, and nails conditions.