Positive Results Seen with Nutraceutical Supplement for Hair Growth in Women

A recent long-term study¹ from Nutrafol’s Sophia Kogan MD, and Isabelle Raymond PhD in New York, New York, and Glynis Ablon MD, FAAD, of Ablon Skin Institute and Research Center in Manhattan Beach, California, investigated the safety and efficacy of a nutraceutical supplement designed to promote hair growth in women in various stages of menopause. Hair loss and thinning that increase with advancing age are most common among postmenopausal women. Overall, 50% of perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women over the age of 50 experience androgenetic hair loss. The study found that after 12 months, subjects taking the active nutraceutical supplement had improvements in hair growth, quality, and shedding. The subjects also reported improvements in their quality of life and menopausal symptoms throughout the study.

When the placebo group was transitioned to the nutraceutical supplement, the subjects experienced significant increases in their hair counts and quality, and a decrease in overall shedding. The positive results of this clinical study show that the continued use of a nutraceutical can provide substantial improvements in hair growth and quality of life among perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women.

Women in various stages of menopause who experience hair thinning or loss are prone to damaging physiological impacts that lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and overall diminished quality of life1. The hormonal changes of menopause are a key factor in the decrease of hair diameter, change in diameter distribution, decreased growth rate, and increased miniaturization. Treatment options for hair loss in women are limited, with Rogaine (minoxidil; Johnson & Johnson) as the only FDA-approved drug with reported adverse events.

Those that participated in the study were healthy perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women, 40 to 50 years old with Fitzpatrick I-IV skin types and self-perceived thinning hair. For the 12-month study, subjects were selected randomly to receive the oral nutraceutical supplement (n=40) or placebo (n=30) for the first six months. After the first 6 months, the first group continued to take the supplement while the placebo group was switched to the supplement for the final six months1.

The mean number of terminal hairs progressively increased from 68.1 at day 0 to 77.2 at day 360, resulting in a 13.4% improvement (P<0.0001) among subjects that received the active supplement for the full 12 months. The mean number of total hairs progressively increased from 78.4 at day 0 to 87.58 at day 360, representing a significant 11.7% improvement (P<0.0001)1.

The results from the clinical trial show evidence that continued use of a novel nutraceutical supplement provides a notable incremental improvement in hair growth and exerts a positive effect on the secondary symptoms of menopause and quality of life. There were no reported adverse events and overall, the supplement was well-tolerated throughout the 12 months. This study establishes Nutrafol as the only hair supplement brand to provide research for menopausal women and efficacy of a nutraceutical hair supplement over 12 months.

Disclosure: Kogan and Raymond are employees of Nutraceutical Wellness, LLC, New York, NY. Ablon has nothing to disclose. The study was conducted with a grant from Nutraceutical Wellness LLC, New York, NY.

This article originally appeared on Dermatology Times.

Reference

1. Glynis A, Kogan S, Raymond I. A long-term study of the safety and efficacy of a nutraceutical supplement for promoting hair growth in perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women. JDDonline - Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://jddonline.com/articles/a-long-term-study-of-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-a-nutraceutical-supplement-for-promoting-hair-growth-in-perimenopausal-menopausal-and-postmenopausal-women-S1545961622P0783X/