Bee Venom Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Inhibiting 5α-Reductase Expression
January 2016
in “Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin”
TLDR Bee venom helps hair grow and may work better than some common treatments.
In a 2016 study, bee venom was shown to promote hair growth and inhibit the expression of SRD5A2, the gene for type II 5α-reductase, an enzyme linked to hair loss. The study, conducted on female C57BL/6 mice, demonstrated that bee venom increased hair growth in a dose-dependent manner and was more effective than 2% minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment. Bee venom also stimulated the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells and increased the expression of growth factors such as IGF-1R, VEGF, FGF2, and FGF7. These results suggest that bee venom could be a potent alternative for hair growth promotion and 5α-reductase inhibition.
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