18-β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid Promotes Hair Growth by Stimulating the Proliferation of Dermal Papilla Cells and Outer Root Sheath Cells, and Extends the Anagen Phase by Inhibiting 5α-Reductase

July 2024 in “ Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin ”

Kenta Hagiwara, Akinori Kiso, Shogo Ono, Hiroaki Kitamura, H Yamanishi, Yuki Tsunekawa, Tokuro Iwabuchi

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid licorice dermal papilla cells outer root sheath cells testosterone 5α-reductase dihydroandrogen TGF-β1 anagen phase androgenetic alopecia 5-alpha-reductase DHT hair growth phase male pattern baldness

TLDR Licorice extract helps hair growth and may treat hair loss.

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, derived from licorice, promotes hair growth by stimulating the proliferation of dermal papilla cells and outer root sheath cells from human hair follicles. It inhibits testosterone 5α-reductase with an IC50 of 137.1 µM, reducing the conversion of androgen to dihydroandrogen. Additionally, it suppresses TGF-β1 expression, potentially prolonging the anagen phase of the hair cycle. These findings suggest that 18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid could be an effective treatment for androgenetic alopecia.

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