Caffeine and Its Role in Regulating Androgenetic Alopecia
February 2021
TLDR Caffeine can potentially treat common hair loss by counteracting hair follicle shrinkage caused by hormones.
The review article "Caffeine and Its Role in Regulation the Androgenetic Alopecia" discusses the potential of caffeine in treating Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA), a common form of hair loss. AGA is primarily caused by the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which leads to hair follicle minimization and reduced hair density. Currently, only two FDA-approved drugs, finasteride and minoxidil, are available for AGA treatment. However, recent studies have shown that caffeine, a common ingredient in cosmetics, can counteract DHT-induced hair follicle minimization. Caffeine works by inhibiting the phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzyme, leading to increased intracellular concentrations of CAMP, which stimulates metabolic activity and improves cell proliferation. Various in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as clinical trials, have demonstrated the beneficial effects of caffeine against hair loss.