Abstract
A large number of people suffer from alopecia or hair loss worldwide. Drug-based therapies using minoxidil and finasteride for the treatment of alopecia are available, but they have shown various side effects in patients. Thus, the use of new therapeutic approaches using bioactive products to reduce the risk of anti-hair-loss medications has been emphasized. Natural products have been used since ancient times and have been proven safe, with few side effects. Several studies have demonstrated the use of plants and their extracts to promote hair growth. Moreover, commercial products based on these natural ingredients have been developed for the treatment of alopecia. Several clinical, animal, and cell-based studies have been conducted to determine the anti-alopecia effects of plant-derived biochemicals. This review is a collective study of phytochemicals with anti-alopecia effects, focusing mainly on the mechanisms underlying their hair-growth-promoting effects.
Highlights
IntroductionAlopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder (similar disorders include thyroid disease, celiac disease, vitiligo, and atopy) caused by lymphocytes that attack the bulb of hair follicles (HFs) in the anagen phase [7]
This study reviewed the beneficial effects of herbs and their bioactive compounds on hair growth, and their underlying mechanisms of action
The herbs and their constituents investigated in this study act via multiple signaling mechanisms in the prevention of alopecia
Summary
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder (similar disorders include thyroid disease, celiac disease, vitiligo, and atopy) caused by lymphocytes that attack the bulb of HFs in the anagen phase [7] This disease affects up to 2% of the population and commonly occurs during childhood or adolescence [7]. Products currently marketed as using natural ingredients include those used to prevent hair loss in the form of hair tonics, hair growth promoters, hair conditioners, and hair cleansers [14]. Plants and their extracts contain multiple components, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, and fatty acids, which support the maintenance of HF health [15]. The present study is a review of the molecular mechanisms underlying the hair-promoting effects of various herbs and their constituents
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