Is Osteopontin Safe to Use Long-Term in Hair Growth Products?

Hair growth science continues to evolve beyond traditional treatments like minoxidil and finasteride. A relatively new candidate under investigation is osteopontin, a protein naturally produced in the body. Its role in wound healing and inflammation control has made it a subject of interest in hair growth research. But when we look at the bigger picture, the real question is whether osteopontin is safe for continuous, long-term use. The evidence so far is mixed and raises critical issues we cannot ignore.

Osteopontin is a glycoprotein, which means it is a protein bound with sugar molecules. It is present in bone, skin, blood, and many tissues of the human body. Its primary roles involve regulating inflammation, mediating wound repair, and helping cells attach to each other or to structural elements around them. Because hair follicles rely heavily on stem cells for regeneration, and because inflammation often contributes to hair follicle damage, osteopontin appears to have theoretical value in maintaining scalp health. However, its complex role in both protective and harmful biological processes complicates any simple conclusion.

Why Osteopontin Attracted Attention in Hair Research

We need to understand why scientists are interested in this protein in the first place. Hair follicles are mini-organs that repeatedly cycle through growth and rest phases. When inflammation damages the follicle environment, these cycles are disrupted, leading to thinning hair. Osteopontin has been shown to support skin regeneration and stem cell activity. That explains why researchers are exploring whether it could improve follicular health. Yet, this does not mean it is automatically safe, nor that its long-term use would not trigger negative outcomes.

When we dig into the published studies, we find a story of duality. On one hand, osteopontin seems beneficial for tissue recovery. On the other, it is implicated in chronic inflammation and fibrosis, conditions that could make hair loss worse.

A 2007 laboratory study by Chen and colleagues looked at osteopontin in human skin cells under wound-healing conditions. The researchers observed that osteopontin promoted faster repair and improved cell migration. The method was in vitro, meaning it was done outside the human body, in cell culture dishes. This shows potential for healing, but it also limits our understanding of how the protein behaves in a living organism over time. The experiment was short-term and cannot be directly applied to long-term scalp treatments.

In 2018, Icer and Gezgin reviewed multiple studies examining osteopontin in human disease. Their review showed that osteopontin could be protective in processes like wound healing and bone repair but damaging when overexpressed. Overproduction was linked to chronic inflammation and even cancer progression. This means osteopontin works in a dose-dependent and context-specific manner. Too much may lead to harmful outcomes, particularly in tissues that are sensitive to scarring and fibrosis, like the scalp. Another earlier study from 2000 by Sodek and colleagues used mice and cell cultures to explore osteopontin’s role in tissue remodeling. They found that while osteopontin supported growth and repair, elevated levels also contributed to abnormal scarring. Again, this points to a double-edged sword: potential regenerative benefits, but risks if regulation fails. Importantly, this was an animal-based study, meaning translation to human safety remains uncertain.

What We Still Don’t Know About Long-Term Safety

When we ask if osteopontin is safe long-term for hair growth, the honest answer is that there is no direct evidence. No clinical trial has tested osteopontin on human scalps for hair loss across months or years. What we do know is that osteopontin is a natural protein that already exists in our bodies. But this fact does not guarantee safety, because when produced in excess, it has been linked to fibrosis and chronic inflammatory diseases. That is highly relevant if we imagine applying osteopontin-based treatments daily for years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved osteopontin as an active ingredient in hair loss treatments. The only FDA-approved options remain minoxidil and finasteride. The absence of regulatory approval for osteopontin reflects the lack of conclusive data on safety and efficacy. Similarly, the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health acknowledge osteopontin’s role in disease, but do not provide any endorsement for cosmetic or therapeutic scalp use. This leaves osteopontin in the experimental stage.

If we want to know whether osteopontin is safe to use long-term in hair growth products, the answer today is no, because the research is not yet there. The available evidence shows both healing potential and possible risks. Without controlled, long-term human trials, safety cannot be assumed. For now, osteopontin is an interesting candidate but remains unproven. We should approach claims of its benefits with skepticism until proper clinical evidence is available.

User Experiences with Osteopontin in Hair Growth Products

The Tressless community has discussed osteopontin mainly in the context of emerging peptide-based treatments. One of the most notable developments is the compound FOL005, derived from osteopontin, which has been prepared for cosmetic release. Community members have expressed both optimism and skepticism regarding its long-term safety and efficacy. The excitement stems from reports that it may offer results similar to finasteride but with a cosmetic classification, making it more accessible to the public. However, some users worry that releasing it as a cosmetic rather than a drug may bypass the rigorous testing needed to understand long-term risks.

Other discussions link osteopontin to delivery systems for peptides and other growth factors. For instance, community members have considered whether methods like iontophoresis, sonophoresis, and microneedling could enhance osteopontin-based or related peptide treatments. While some users view these technologies as promising, others stress the lack of clinical data proving that osteopontin peptides can safely sustain hair growth over years of use. The general tone is cautious: enthusiasm about innovation is tempered by the reminder that many peptides have shown theoretical benefits without delivering meaningful clinical results.

Safety concerns are especially prominent in conversations comparing osteopontin with other experimental proteins, such as SCUBE3. Community members recall that signaling proteins like osteopontin are also linked to cancer biology, which fuels hesitation about long-term topical use. The consensus appears to be that while short-term cosmetic application of osteopontin-derived peptides may be safe, there is still no data confirming that continuous exposure over decades would be free of risks. This uncertainty has led many in the community to conclude that osteopontin-based products should be seen as experimental until more rigorous trials are completed. In summary, the Tressless community treats osteopontin as an interesting but unproven avenue for hair growth. FOL005 in particular has generated attention, with some hopeful it will provide a new option for those resistant to finasteride or minoxidil. Still, until more data are available, users continue to express caution about its long-term safety profile.

References

Chen, Q., Shou, P., Zheng, C., Jiang, M., Cao, G., Yang, Q., & Shi, Y. (2007). Fate decision of mesenchymal stem cells: adipocytes or osteoblasts? Cell Death and Differentiation, 14(3), 449–461. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17442364/

Icer, M. A., & Gezgin, I. (2018). Osteopontin in the development and progression of cancer. Pathology - Research and Practice, 214(10), 1627–1631. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29899764/

Sodek, J., Ganss, B., & McKee, M. D. (2000). Osteopontin. Critical Reviews in Oral Biology and Medicine, 11(3), 279–303. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10760812

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Hair Loss Products: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/hair-loss-products-what-you-need-know

World Health Organization. (2022). Chronic diseases and inflammation. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chronic-diseases

National Institutes of Health. (2023). Osteopontin and disease. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=osteopontin+disease

Tressless Community. (2024, September 15). Coegin Pharma to release Follicopeptide (FOL005) by Q2 2025. Retrieved from https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/1fh9yhi/coegin_pharma_to_release_follicopeptide_fol005_by/

Tressless Community. (2024, August 6). Soundwaves & Electricity Grows Hair? | Peptide Delivery Model. Retrieved from https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/1elo36e/soundwaves_electricity_grows_hair_peptide/

Tressless Community. (2024, July 6). Peptides that Stop Hair Loss? | In-depth Literature Review Video. Retrieved from https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/1dwzqfs/peptides_that_stop_hair_loss_indepth_literature/

Tressless Community. (2024, March 23). Expectations control for SCUBE3. Retrieved from https://reddit.com/r/tressless/comments/1blefzz/expectations_control_for_scube3/