Decoction and Fermentation of Selected Medicinal Herbs Promote Hair Regrowth by Inducing Hair Follicle Growth in Conjunction with Wnt Signaling

January 2016 in “ Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ”

Sung Kyu Jang, Seung Tae Kim, Do Ik Lee, Jun Sub Park, Bo Ram Jo, Jung Youl Park, Jong Heo, Seong Soo Joo

fermented herbal extract decoction hair regrowth hair follicles anagen phase Wnt signaling Wnt3 Wnt10a Wnt10b Lef1 fibroblast growth factor 7 β-catenin Akt phosphorylation FDE DE hair growth Wnt pathway FGF7

TLDR Boiling and fermenting certain herbs can help hair grow by activating hair growth genes and pathways.

The 2016 study examined the impact of fermented herbal extract after decoction (FDE) on hair regrowth in C57BL/6N mice, finding that FDE was more effective than nonfermented extract (DE) in promoting hair growth. The FDE treatment significantly increased the number and size of hair follicles, indicative of the anagen phase, and enhanced the expression of genes related to hair regrowth, such as Wnt3/10a/10b, Lef1, and fibroblast growth factor 7. Additionally, the study showed increased levels of β-catenin and Akt phosphorylation, which are part of the Wnt signaling pathway involved in hair follicle development. These results suggest that FDE could be a potential treatment for hair regrowth by activating specific genes and signaling pathways. The study's funding source was the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, and no conflicts of interest were reported.

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